First and Only Love
by JakeTheCat
Summary: Akari had to get out of the city. It was too stuffy for her. Now that she's on her own will she be able to run a farm all by herself? She's probably going to need some help along the way LukeXAkari. Sorry for the very bad description. The story's better
1. A New Life

**So this is just something I came up with after I got Harvest Moon Animal Parade and saw stories on this website about it! It's also my first fanfic ever! Hope you like it! Oh, I think I'm supposed to say that I don't own Harvest Moon... So, I don't! Enjoy!**

First and Only Love

Chapter 1

Something about the way the sun hit the island made my heart swell with emotion. It was just so beautiful! I hadn't seen anything like that after living in the city my whole life.

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" a friendly voice called.

I turned and saw the elderly boat captain smiling from me at the wheel. His blue jacket blew in the wind, his white sailor's cap threatening to fly off and expose his gray hair.

No one else was on the little boat, so I found myself obligated to go over and stand beside him.

"I'm Pascal," he said, "If you need to get off the island at any time, I'm your guy."

"It's nice to meet you," I said over the roar of the wind, "My name's Akari."

"Akari, huh? I hear you're going to be starting a ranch on Castanet? That sounds like a lot of work."

I blushed and rubbed the back of my neck nervously. Even to me it sounded like a lot of work. But I just couldn't stand staying in the overly crowded city with all those snobs… I had to get away from it all. Farming on a small island seemed like the perfect escape.

"Yeah, it'll be hard at first," I admitted, "But I'm sure I'll get used to it."

He smiled at me like he was looking at his daughter.

"You look like you're capable of handling that. How old are you anyways?"

"Nineteen."

I wanted to lie and say I was older so he wouldn't suddenly start treating me like a kid, but I didn't want my whole life on Castanet to be based off a lie. The only way I was going to make friends and build relationships was to be honest.

"Yeah, you look young," he sighed, "But like I said, I'm sure you'll be fine."

My cheeks flushed. He actually thought I could do this even though I was just nineteen. I was pretty sure he had more confidence in me than I did. That probably wasn't a good sign. How could I do this if I didn't even think I could?

Once the boat docked, I walked off the gangplank, Pascal following behind. I looked around the little town in awe. It was so cute! There were a few shops in front of me and some stairs that led to even more. On the left I could see a pier and a lighthouse, as well as what looked like a fishery. When I looked to the right, I saw two more shops and two paths, one going left and one going right. The one going left went up and climbed up a steep hill, so far I couldn't see where it ended. On the right, the road went over a bridge and started to wind around the beach until I couldn't see that anymore either.

"This is Harmonica Town," Pascal said as he saw me observing, "Most of the citizens live here, and consequently most of the shops are out here. Your house is across that bridge and down that path in the Clarinet District… the mayor will explain it to you better than I can."

Just as I was about to ask him where the mayor was, I saw a short, pudgy man hurrying towards us, huffing and puffing from the energy he was exerting. Once he reached us, he had to stop and catch his breath before speaking.

"I'm Mayor Hamilton!" he gasped, "You must be Akari!"

"Yes," I said as I stifled a laugh, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Why thank you! Now, I'd love to give you a tour but I'm afraid it's getting dark… How about I give you one in the morning?"

"That's fine."

"Perfect! Now let me show you where you'll be living."

He smoothed out his blue suit and began walking to the bridge, the way Pascal had told me I'd be going. I hoisted my suitcase up and trudged after him, not having to go too fast since his legs were so short and stumpy, thus not carrying him very quickly. We walked down the path for a really long time, making me wonder just how far away I was from the town. Just as I was about to ask him, I saw what was mine. It wasn't at all what I had expected.

There was a small, run down house that had some tiles missing off the roof and a lot of the paint chipped away at. There was a chicken coop and barn in the same (if not worse) condition next to it. A small plowed area was parallel to the house, with a few tiny sprouts sticking up and a few trees that weren't in bloom. My expectations were less than met, to say the least.

"I know it's not much," Hamilton sighed. _Yeah, no kidding. _"But with some paint and TLC, it should work out just fine, don't you think?"

"Oh, yeah… sure."

He looked at my unhappy expression and sighed to himself. Great. Now he was going to think I was some spoiled rich kid who didn't show any appreciation.

"It's really great," I said in a more convincing voice, "Thanks."

That seemed to lift up his spirits, for he smiled brightly and reached out to shake my hand.

"Well, I must be going," he sighed, "I'll see you around ten tomorrow morning? I'll have Owen come down earlier to help move your furniture and everything."

I had no idea who Owen was, but I just smiled and nodded in agreement, trying to be as polite as I possibly could. Once Hamilton left, I went inside the unlocked house. It wasn't _that _bad. There was a bed with a nightstand in the corner and a bookcase with a dresser. The kitchen was there, but I didn't really see any utensils. Figured it wouldn't be very expensively furnished.

I dragged my suitcase to the side and set it down by the nightstand, not wanting to deal with putting my clothes away just yet. I'd do that in the morning or something. What I really wanted to do was go to sleep, but it was still so early. I thought about wandering around the island, but it was so big I feared getting lost.

As I was about to go back to Harmonica Town to find a map or something, there was a knock at my door. I raised my brow curiously. I'd just moved in and I already had visitors?

When I answered the door, I looked up to see a tall, heavyset man with a thick blue mustache and matching hair on top of his head. He was dressed almost all in denim, from his jeans to his vest, except for a white shirt and his boots. Compared to me (being so tiny) he looked quite intimidating.

"Hello," he said, "I take it you're Akari. My name's Dale. I'm the carpenter up at the Garmon Mines."

"It's nice to meet you."

He had a strong, firm handshake, proving that it wasn't just his looks that were strong.

"I just wanted to see how things are going for you," he said, "It's pretty big around here at first and I didn't know if you needed a tour… I'm too old, but my son would be more than happy to. He has plenty of energy to burn off."

I smiled at the generous offer. I wasn't quite sure if Dale's son had actually agreed to that, but it was the thought that counted.

"Thanks, but Hamilton offered to give me a tour in the morning," I said.

"Well, that's probably best since he's the mayor. I gotta get going now… Goddess only knows what Luke and Bo are up to now."

He shook his head and said goodbye, heading up a hill near the back of my house. Hmm. I wondered if that lead to the Garmon Mines. If so, perhaps that was closer than Harmonica Town. Maybe I'd spend more time there since it was closer. _If _it was closer/worth it.

I'd noticed that the sun had gone down, so I took that as a decent excuse for going to sleep. I changed into some sweats and a t-shirt, crawling under the thin sheets of the bed. Luckily it was spring so it wasn't like I'd get cold or anything.

I just concentrated on sleeping and thinking about how I was going to do this. How I was going to handle my new life.

**Yeah so that's it for the beginning. I wrote like nine chapters already before I could publish anything so reviews aren't required for me to post more and whatnot but they are appreciated!**


	2. Introductions

**So this is quite the boring chapter because it's mainly just explaining about all the people. Sorry. More action in the next one!**

**I don't own Harvest Moon**

Chapter 2

My awakening wasn't exactly something I enjoyed. There was a loud pounding on my door, so hard that I thought it would break down. I groaned irritably and got out of bed to find the robe in my suitcase. Once it was on, I dragged my feet towards the door, opening it slowly.

In front of me, stood the most buff man I had ever seen in my life. He wore a tight, sleeveless black shirt that showed his muscles, and baggy brown pants held up with a belt. His arms… they made me suspicious that he was on steroids. His short, red hair spiked up and his gray eyes widened at the sight of me. Probably because I'd just rolled out of bed and look oh-so-lovely.

"Hi!" he said in a macho voice, "I'm Owen. I work for the blacksmith up at the Garmon Mines. Hamilton told me you have some stuff that probably needs to be moved and asked me if I could help, you being so tiny and fragile."

I raised my brow. Who did he think he was? Just because I was little didn't mean I was incapable of lifting stuff.

"Well, I don't have anything at the moment," I said, "Mainly all the furniture I need is here… so thanks for coming, but I'm fine."

Owen's smile faded as I spoke.

"Oh. Well, if you ever need any help, let me know. See ya round."

With that, he turned around and started going up the hill Dale had yesterday, his hands in his pockets. I just sighed and locked the door. I had no idea what time it was but it felt like it was way too early for me to be up. So I went back to sleep, hoping not to have to deal with any more interruptions.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen. There was a knocking on my door and I reluctantly got up to answer it. This time it was Hamilton. Whoa! Had I really slept in that late?

"Sorry, Hamilton," I said, "I'll be ready in just a minute."

He was about to speak but I closed the door on him, running over to get dressed and brush my hair. I didn't bother to eat, assuming I'd get something later. I was ready faster than I thought possible, and soon was being taken along by Hamilton to Harmonica town to meet the residents.

First, I was taken to a photography shop, which was right beside Town Hall. The sign said "Simon's Photos" so I had a pretty good guess on who I'd meet. Sure enough, a man with grayish hair greeted us, introducing himself as Simon. He even gave me an old camera to use. I thanked him and Hamilton moved on.

The next store was Sonata Tailoring, home to three women. Shelly was an older woman, with her gray hair tied in a braid and covered in a pink bandana. She seemed very sweet. The other two were her granddaughters, Candace and Luna. The older, Candace, had light blue hair in two pleated braids, her skirt and sweater matching colors. She was very shy and hardly said two words to me. Luna, on the other hand was different. She was very outgoing and talkative and even a bit rude. Her pink hair was pulled in two side ponytails and had flowers strewn through them, making her seem even younger than she was (she barely looked eighteen). Her yellow dress was also covered in flowers, matching her hair.

Next to that was the Brass Bar, which was owned by a man named Hayden. He kind of reminded me of Owen since he was so big and muscular, but he seemed much friendlier. He had a big, bushy brown beard, but his head was pretty much bald. His daughter, Kathy, was a sweet girl, with her blonde hair pulled in a ponytail and cowgirl-like outfit. The cook, Chase, kept to himself, saying about as much as Candace had. His wild peach hair was clipped back and he ignored me by fiddling with his apron and rolling up the sleeves of his clean, white shirt constantly, even though they only went to his elbows.

Hamilton then led me down the dock to the fishery shop, which was owned by a man named Ozzie. His son, Paolo, was running around the store happily, being chased by a boy who I realized was his cousin. Toby was his name, and he had grayish-green hair and a laid-back personality once he stopped running all over the place. A straw hat hung on his back, and he wore a loose blue robe-like thing with gray pants. Just being around him made me calmer.

We went back to the main part of the town and up the stairs to the Ocarina Inn, which was owned by a married couple. Colleen worked in the kitchen and had short brownish-red hair while her husband, Jake (whose hair was starting to gray) checked in the customers. Jake's mother, Yolanda, was the chef, and had a very harsh aura about her, even though her hair was pink. Her granddaughter, Maya, was the opposite. She wore a pink, puffy dress and had her orangey hair in two little pigtails, a smile plastered on her face. She told me how Yolanda was training her to be a cook, though her grandmother rolled her eyes at this, making me stifle a giggle.

Next to the Inn was the Choral Clinic, ran by an elderly woman named Irene. Her grandson, Jin, was the doctor and seemed highly intelligent. His black hair was pulled back in a ponytail and his glasses sat primly on his nose.

As we started to head back to my house, Hamilton explained how there was a church high up on the hill I'd seen earlier, and there was a priest in training named Perry. As we started to head up the hill behind my house, he also mentioned how his son, Gill, was taking a trip to the city but would be back soon.

At the top of the hill, there were four shops. One of them was placed right where the hill flattened out, threatening to fall over if it moved any farther. There was a path that led into a forest between that and the other building, which Hamilton told me led to the Goddess Spring. After that there was a small creek between it and the next building, which could be crossed by a small bridge. The other two buildings were side by side and farther on was a large mountain that held what I assumed were the mines.

We crossed the bridge and went to the house nearest to the mountain, which was the blacksmith's. The owner, Ramsey, was bald on top with white hair on the back, as well as a thin moustache and small beard. His granddaughter, Chloe, looked to be about eight and had pinkish hair tied in a ponytail on top of her head, with cheeks that seemed permanently red. She whined about how Owen was in the mines and wouldn't let her come with him. To be honest, I was kind of glad I didn't have to see him again after this morning's encounter.

The next building was a jewelry shop, which was owned by a slightly sad looking woman with purple hair that was beginning to gray. Her apprentice, Julius, also had purple hair, but it was much brighter and had highlights of yellow and pink. He wore a red jacket with a ruffled white shirt underneath and tight gray pants. It looked like he was wearing a skirt, but I decided not to say anything. I didn't want to be rude.

The general store was next, where we met Barbara, a woman with green hair which I instantly saw as odd. I hadn't seen any others with green hair yet. Her daughter, Phoebe, had teal hair worn in a beehive-type style and had red-rimmed glasses. She was dressed like she was about to go hang out with Indiana Jones, making me think she spent time in the mines.

The last store was the carpenter's shop, where I saw Dale again. A boy was working on a chair in the corner and he had blonde, spiky hair and freckles. He looked to be about sixteen.

"That's Bo," Dale said, "My son's supposed to be helping him, but he's probably out in the woods doing something stupid. If you see him, could you tell him to come home?"

"Sure," I said giggling.

Hamilton then took me back down the hill and down the one path I hadn't gone down yet. He said it led to Flute Fields, where two other farms were located. That made me feel a little better. At least I wouldn't be the only one farming on this island.

The first place was Marimba Farm, owned by Craig and Ruth. Both seemed kind of irritable and bitter, so I didn't talk to them much. Their son, Taylor, looked to be about eight and had spiky blonde hair. His sister Anissa had long, dark brown hair and a quiet personality, though she seemed quite intelligent. She wore a light blue shirt and a skirt with an intricate pattern on the sides. Ruth told me I could order seeds from here whenever I wanted and even gave me some cabbage seeds as a welcoming gift.

Next to them was Horn Ranch, which was run by Cain and Hanna, a much nicer couple than the previous one. Their daughter, Renee, had short brown hair and I found her tending the animals outside, looking like she was really enjoying herself. She wore a plain, pink dress, but she looked pretty in it anyways. As Hamilton and I started to head back, I noticed it was getting pretty dark.

"Shouldn't we go find Dale's son?" I asked.

Hamilton stopped and looked back. As I followed his gaze I saw the forest that stood by Horn Ranch, looking dark and pretty creepy.

"That's Fugue Forest," Hamilton said, "It can get pretty spooky in there."

He seemed quite scared, so I took his word for it. But what if Dale's son was lost? What if he was hurt?

"I'm going to look for him," I said, "You go on back Hamilton."

He didn't hesitate. With a quick farewell, Hamilton turned and scurried back to Harmonica Town. I rolled my eyes and sighed as I looked back at the forest. I had no idea what was about to happen to me.

**Haha! Cliffhanger! I do that a lot unfortunately. Please review if you have anything to say :)**


	3. First Encounter

**So this chapter is where we meet the fabulous hero of the story! YAY!**

**I don't own Harvest Moon**

Chapter 3

After being in the forest for only a few minutes I regretted going in. It was dark and some of the trees looked like scary figures. Plus it was kind of cold, so I was shivering from that and not just my fear. There was no one in sight and I started to get really freaked out.

"Hello? Is someone there?"

All I got in response was an owl hooting, causing me to jump. I had to go back. This was way too freaky. I started to turn around and walk quickly, but I slowed down when I realized I had no idea to get out of here. Oh, great. I started whimpering in fear. I'd only been here a little over a day and I was going to get lost and die in this forest.

"Hey, are you okay?" a voice suddenly said.

I screamed and whipped around to see a blurry figure standing there. The silhouette of an ax rested on their shoulder, making my face go pale. I was going to get murdered! I screamed again, even louder.

"Hey wait! I have a flashlight, just –"

But it was too late. I could tell it was a man by his voice, so I quickly lashed my leg out and kicked him between the legs, causing him to groan and collapse to the ground, the ax clonking beside him. My breathing turned shallow and rapid as I heard him moaning in agony.

"What the _hell _did you do that for?" he cried.

"You were trying to kill me!"

"_What?"_

I stood there trembling, confused as to why I wasn't running for my life. A light suddenly shone in my eyes, momentarily blinding me. I covered my face with my hands, waiting for the light to move.

"I wasn't trying to kill you," the person said, "What were you thinking? Who is this anyways? Maya? Damn it, Maya, I know you're scared easy but can't you give a guy a break?"

I brought my hand away and dared to look at who I thought had almost killed me. He looked to be about my age, though he was a good head taller than me. He wore a white shirt with the sleeves torn off, a reddish-brown vest on top of that with the collar popped. His jeans were tight and it looked like he had a tool belt hanging on his waist as well. He had on thick brown boots and I noticed he wore a necklace that looked like it had a shark's tooth hanging on it. His hands were covered in black, leather gloves that didn't go all the way over his fingers. He had wild, azure hair covered in a white bandana with a flame pattern on it. His golden eyes looked directly at me and widened when he realized I wasn't Maya. My heart fluttered nervously.

"Oh, hi," he said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell, I just thought you were Maya because she can be a bit of a pain sometimes, always annoying me and getting scared when she sees my ax and… oh, by the way, I'm Luke."

He offered his hand, completely forgetting that I'd just kicked him. I nervously took it; afraid he'd suddenly pick up his ax and chop me to pieces. Of course, that didn't happen. I liked the feeling of the leather against my palm, the tips of his fingers touching the back of my hand.

"I'm Akari," I murmured, "I'm sorry I kicked you… I saw the ax and I kind of freaked out."

"It's fine," he said with a smile, "It's my fault for being out so late. I was trying to get as much done as possible and well I guess I lost track of time."

"Your dad asked me to tell you to go home," I said stupidly.

"Aw, crap! Dad's gonna kill me!"

He rubbed his hand against his face, making me notice that he had a small bandage over the bridge of his nose. Now what could he have done to get that? As I pondered, he picked up his ax and swung it over his shoulder, not even grunting.

"I gotta get home," he said, "It was nice meeting you. I'll see you later."

He started to walk away, making me panic. He couldn't leave! I had no idea to get out of here. He'd only gone a few yards ahead when I called his name. He turned to look at me over his shoulder and smiled.

"Don't know how to get out?" he asked.

I nodded weakly, embarrassed by my stupidity. Who went into a forest at night without knowing how to get out? I apparently did. Luke beckoned me over and I quickly ran up to him, standing close as we began to walk through the trees.

"So how do you like it here?" he asked, "It's kind of small, but it's nice to know everybody here. It's like we're one big family. And now we have you so the family's growing! That's awesome!"

I just smiled. Luke was sweet but I had a feeling that if we were ever together he'd be doing most of the talking. Dale had been right when he said his son had a lot of energy. He talked with me the whole way back to my farm, babbling nonstop about how there were never newcomers and it was so exciting and he couldn't wait to hang out with me and show me all the secrets of the island and teach me how to annoy Bo. It was really easy for me being there with him. Yeah, he talked mostly but I did get quite a bit more in than I thought I would. It was like we'd always been friends and had moments like this all the time. It was just so easy to be with him.

Once we got to my house, Luke waited until I unlocked the door and opened it to make sure I would be okay.

"It was nice meeting you," he said, "I can tell you and I are gonna get along just fine. You're pretty cool, Akari."

My cheeks flushed and I quickly averted my eyes from him. I didn't think I'd blushed so much in my life. Something about him just made me.

"Goodnight," I said softly.

"Night! Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite!"

I giggled and watched him head up the hill to the mines, only closing my door after he was out of eyesight. Sure out first encounter was an odd one, but I knew it wouldn't be the last.

**Aw, how sweet! Then again, Luke's always been that way. Reviews are appreciated!**


	4. Rivals

**This is where we meet another character who girls often seem to love (though I don't know why). Probably because he's the exact opposite of Luke... This should be fun!**

**I don't own Harvest Moon**

Chapter 4

A few weeks went by and I was finally starting to get the hang of things around the farm. My crops were bringing in a decent profit and Cain had told me that one of his cows was pregnant and would give me the calf was born. That would certainly help me out with money. One day, I woke up early and was surprised to see that I'd gotten all my work done in less than an hour. Now what? I decided to go see Luke, who I'd become quite close to over the past weeks.

When I got up the top of the hill, I was surprised to see that Luke was outside the carpenter's, chopping away at a pile of log. His muscular arms lifted the ax with ease and cut through the wood as if it was nothing. My heart fluttered and I felt my face getting warm. He suddenly turned and saw me, a grin lighting up his face.

"Hey!" he called.

Before I could start walking towards him, he'd sprinted up in front of me, his ax resting on his shoulder.

"You're up early," he pointed out.

I blushed with embarrassment. What if he thought I was up early just to see him?

"So are you," I said in a failed attempt at a comeback.

He just gave me a lopsided smile and shrugged.

"I wasn't tired this morning," he said, "And since I'm filled with energy, I thought I might as well use it to get some work done. Smart, huh?"

He beamed like this was the most brilliant thing anyone could ever come up with. I giggled and nodded, his pride almost emitting a glow. Suddenly, his expression changed as if he'd just had a revelation.

"Hey, guess what?" he gasped.

I shrugged. I hadn't been here long so I didn't really know what I was supposed to guess.

"Fancy-pants Gill is back!" he cried, "Wanna come bug him with me?"

I smiled at his enthusiasm, but hesitated in responding. I'd never been one to antagonize others because it seemed kind of rude and immature. But Luke seemed so sweet he probably couldn't hurt a fly.

"Sure," I sighed, "Just don't do anything too –"

But he'd already grabbed my wrist and started dragging me down the hill, tossing his ax down by the pile of wood. He ran so fast it was almost impossible to keep up with him; I almost tripped a few times. Luke was too excited to notice though, and just kept heading to Harmonica Town. He took me up the hill that led towards the church, but made a sharp right before going too far. It seemed like we were on the roofs of buildings now, and he carefully led me over to the top of the mayor's house, leaning over the edge to see the front door. That was when I started to get worried. What was he going to do to Gill? I'd never met the guy so I wasn't sure if he really deserved what Luke was going to do.

Luke fumbled around his tool belt and I noticed there was a bottled water in the place where a hammer normally went. Oh no. Luke grinned mischievously as he took the cap off the water and stuck his neck out to look over the roof.

"Luke…" I breathed, "What if he gets mad at you?"

"Oh, he will," Luke answered, "But he's too wimpy to do anything about it."

I sighed and looked over the edge as well just as a figure came out the door. I could see the top of the boy's head, which was covered in hair so blonde it almost looked white. He was wearing a sweater vest and tight, plaid pants. So far, he did seem kind of snobby like Luke had made him out to be.

Luke turned the water bottle upside down and let the water pour down on the unsuspecting figure's head, drenching his head and causing water to drip from his clothes. The boy shrieked with such a high-pitched voice that Luke started to roll over with laughter and even I had to stifle a giggle. The boy looked up at us, his blue eyes burning with hate.

"_Luke!" _he screeched, "You idiot! I just bought this shirt!"

That only made Luke laugh harder, tears coming to his eyes. The boy, who I assumed was Gill, suddenly caught sight of me, making his eyes grow even bigger and his cheeks turn pink.

"Luke!" he yelled again, "You're such a moron! I'm going to have you kicked off this island the second I become mayor!"

"I'd like to see you try!" Luke called through his fit of laughter.

Gill just gave him a dirty look and ran back inside the house, slamming the door behind him. Luke had tears running down his face as he laughed, clutching his sides and gasping for air. I had to admit, it was pretty funny seeing that snob look like a drowned rat, but Gill had looked really upset. It didn't seem right to just watch him run in the house and forget about it.

I got to my feet and started to head down the hill. Luke sat up and looked at me confused.

"Hey, where you going?" he asked.

"To apologize to Gill," I said, "That just… that really wasn't nice, Luke."

Luke's face went pale and his mouth opened slightly like he was going to say something. Instead, he just sat there, staring at me. Well if he wouldn't apologize, then at least I had to. I went down the hill and up to the mayor's house, knocking softly on the door. Hamilton quickly opened it, smiling when he saw me.

"Hello, Akari!" he said in a cheerful voice, "Can I help you?"

"I-I was looking f-for Gill…"

His smile faded and he looked back in the house as if to see if anyone else was there.

"He… he's busy," Hamilton said quietly.

"I know what happened," I whispered, "What Luke did… I just want to apologize."

Hamilton's eyes widened in surprise, but he let me in anyways. I followed him to a door and watched as he knocked on it.

"Gill," he said, "Someone's here to see you."

After what felt like hours, the door opened and Gill poked his head out, his hair damp and his eyes sad. He saw me and wrinkled his nose.

"You!" he snapped, "Just because you've never met me doesn't mean you can go doing stupid shit like that with that loser!"

I stepped back in surprise. So he really was a snob. Maybe he deserved what Luke did. And Luke…he wasn't a loser. Despite his quirks, he was really sweet and meant something to me.

"Luke's not a loser," I said, "And I didn't know what he was doing, so I'm sorry. I'm Akari, by the way."

"I know," he grumbled, "The new farmer. It's a pity that you hang out with our village idiot. If he's holding you against your will, you can let me know and I'll have him shipped off the island."

That did it. I had actually felt bad for this guy after what Luke did, but seriously? It was just a prank! And Luke was not an idiot. Since Hamilton was there, I decided not to give Gill a piece of my mind.

"Luke's not an idiot," I said through gritted teeth, "He's my best friend on this island. Now if you excuse me, I have to go find him."

Before either of them could stop me, I ran out of the house and went back up the hill in hopes of finding Luke still on the roof.

"Luke! Hey, Luke!"

But he wasn't there. It was completely empty. Oh no.

What if he'd been hurt by what I said? What if my words made him believe he was what Gill said he was? I couldn't let that happen. Not to Luke.

**Poor Luke. Poor Akari. Dare I say poor Gill? **


	5. Realization

**Ooh we finally get to hear from Luke! YAY!**

**I don't own Harvest Moon**

Chapter 5

Luke's POV

I sulked back home with my hands in my pockets. Not nice? How could she say that? I thought we were friends. My fists went deeper in my pockets as I kicked a rock, causing it to bounce on the ground in front of me for quite a while until it finally stopped.

What if Gill was right? What if I was an idiot? Lots of people had said stuff like that, like "Luke, don't do anything stupid" or "Luke, don't be so immature" or "Luke, how many times do I have to tell you?" Was I really that stupid?

And what if Akari thought I was stupid? I flinched at the thought. She was practically my best friend, but did she see me the same way everyone else did? And why did the thought tear me up inside?

When I got home, I was relieved to see that Bo and Dad weren't visible. Or so I thought. As I started to head back into my room, I heard the door open.

"Hey, Luke," Dad's deep voice said, "What are you doing home? I thought you were with Akari."

I turned to see if Bo was standing there. Lucky for me, he wasn't. If he heard what I was going to say he'd mock me for the rest of my life.

"Dad… do you think I'm stupid?"

His eyes widened in surprise, almost shock. He closed the door and walked over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder more gently than I thought possible.

"What in the world makes you think that?" he asked.

I shrugged his hand away and looked down at my feet.

"Gill," I muttered.

He heaved a huge sigh and nodded with understanding. I felt his hand wrap around my wrist and he dragged me to the kitchen sitting me down in a chair and then plopping himself in one next to me.

"You know Gill's just a snob, Luke," Dad sighed, "You've never cared what he's said about you before."

"I know, but… but he said it in front of Akari… What if she thinks I'm stupid, too?"

Dad rubbed his chin and looked at me thoughtfully.

"Akari's a sweet girl, Luke," he said, "I think she stays with you because she likes you just the way you are. Just because Gill has a brain the size of a pea doesn't mean that she does."

I smirked a little at the insult, but it faded. It was no secret that almost everyone on the island thought I was an idiot. I could remember back when I was in school, and it was so hard for me and how Gill would get Chase and Julius and the three of them would torture me relentlessly. Luckily, Owen would always stick up for me and since he was so scary, they'd usually back off. But still, the memories lingered.

"Everyone calls me an idiot," I mumbled, "Not just Gill but Julius and Chase and Luna and Craig and Ruth and even Ramsey sometimes…"

I realized that my eyes were welling with tears and blinked them back before any could escape. I was not going to cry over this. But Dad still noticed.

"Luke, you aren't an idiot," he said, "Just because you didn't get the best grades doesn't mean you're stupid."

"But it's other things, Dad!" I protested, "It's always 'Oh, Luke's going to hurt himself because he's so clumsy' or 'Luke will never pull that off' or 'Thanks, Luke, but I need someone smarter'."

I saw his eyes widen in horror. He'd heard people say stuff like that but I guessed he never thought I took it to heart. He reached over and put his hand on my shoulder again.

"I bet Akari doesn't think that," he murmured, "Luke… she's a special girl. I don't think she'd ever say those things."

"She already did… she got mad today when I pranked Gill and… and… Dad, I think she hates me."

The thought of her hating me hurt so much that I had to clench my teeth to fight off the pain. Dad was right about her. She was special and different, not like the other girls. Something about her was just… better. The best.

At that moment, I could hear a knock at the door. Since I was in no shape to get up, Dad went and answered it for me, giving one, last helpless glance before he did. I just sat at the table for a while, drumming my fingers on the wood. I remembered making this table. It was the first thing I'd ever made. Unfortunately, I'd somehow managed to cut my nose with a saw (I honestly didn't remember how it happened… Dad said I fell on it or something) and because of it I now had this bandage. But I didn't mind. It wasn't that noticeable. Dad said it gave me character.

"Luke?"

I looked up and saw Akari standing in front of me, her hazel eyes worried. I jumped slightly from the suddenness of her arrival, but relaxed when I saw how concerned she seemed.

"Are you okay?" she asked, "I went to look for you on the roof, but you were gone…"

"I didn't want you to see me being _mean," _I said bitterly.

She bowed her head and wrung her hands together. I hadn't meant to sound mean. She was the last person I wanted to be mean to.

"I'm sorry, Luke," she whispered, "It's just… I don't know. I thought what you did was horrible, but then I realized it was just water first of all and it was just a prank. No one got hurt. And Gill's an asshole."

My face lit up with a grin. I wasn't the only one who thought so.

"It's okay," I said, "It was kinda immature of me…"

She smiled and I got up to hug her. She was so tiny; the top of her head hardly reached my shoulders. I tightened my grip and lifted her up a little, making her feet come off the floor. She squeaked in surprise and I quickly set her down to see her red face trying to look away from mine. I smiled as she grabbed some of her short, brown hair and tried to push it in front of her face in hopes I wouldn't see.

It made her look really cute.

I blinked in surprise. Did I just think she was cute? Akari? My friend? What?

I shook my head and saw that she was looking back at me now, playing with her hair nervously as her cheeks started to return to their normal color.

"Hey," I said suddenly, "Will you come with me to Flute Fields tonight? I wanna show you something."

I honestly didn't know what had compelled me to say that. Neither did I know what I wanted to show her. But something in the back of my mind was telling me to, so I just said it. That was me. Blurt things out without thinking them through.

Her eyes widened in surprise, but she gave me a quick nod in agreement. For some reason my heart swelled at that.

"Great! Meet me there at eight, okay?"

"S-Sure."

We smiled at each other, but then she said she had to go see Renee, so she left. I just stood in my kitchen, smiling for no reason. My dad came in and saw me grinning, raising his bushy brows curiously.

"What's with you?" he asked.

My grin widened.

"I'm a fool!" I said proudly.

**Another cliffhanger? Maybe, maybe not if you understand Luke's logic here. :)**


	6. More

**I'm not even going to bother with an introduction because you probably just want to know what happens next. So stop reading this and get to the book!**

**I don't own Harvest Moon**

Chapter 6

Akari's POV

I didn't really know why Luke wanted me to meet him that night, but judging by the way he looked at me, I had a feeling that it was going to be something I'd enjoy.

Before that, I went to visit Renee. She was dating Toby so I thought I'd ask her for some advice on what to do. This wasn't officially a date, but what if it turned into one?

"He asked you out?" Renee gasped, "Akari, that's wonderful!"

"No, no, he just wants me to meet him…" I said.

She furrowed her brows and folded her arms across her chest. Renee and I had grown close since we had so much in common, but sometimes she couldn't seem to understand me. Or maybe I just was horrible when it came to explaining things.

"How'd Toby ask you out for the first time?" I asked.

Her face turned the same shade of pink as her dress as she dreamily twirled her hair. I smiled. She really was crazy about Toby.

"He took me to the lighthouse and asked if I wanted to have lunch, so he got a picnic basket and we ate on the beach," she giggled.

Wow. That was romantic. Who knew Toby was capable of that?

"It sounds to me like this will probably be a date," she added, "Aw, Akari! You two are so cute together!"

"We're not together!" I cried as my face turned bright red.

"Yet!"

I ignored her and went back to my house to get ready to meet Luke. Thanks to Renee, I still didn't know if it was a date so I had no clue if I was supposed to dress differently. I decided to stay in my red skirt, boots, and yellow shirt with the red camisole over it. Simple, but I wasn't a very flashy person. I smoothed out my hair and went out in the night to go find Luke. It was eight, so I hoped I wouldn't be late.

He was perched on the hill that divided Marimba Farm and Horn Ranch, leaning back on his hands and staring up at the sky. The second he heard me though, he looked over and smiled, waving at me to come over. I blushed as I sat beside him, not knowing what to do.

"So what's the plan?" I asked.

"Just looking at the stars," he said, "I love to."

We both looked up at the sky, admiring the stars. They looked like twinkling gems against an ebony backdrop. I understood why Luke liked them so much.

"They're so bright and pretty," I whispered.

"Like your eyes."

My face turned bright red as I caught Luke glancing over at me, turning my head to look the other way. Oh my gosh! He'd just flirted! With _me!_ This was too good to be true!

We sat silently for quite a while, looking up at sky and sometimes at the land. Luke backed up to lean against the fence post, tucking his chin close to his chest like he was going to fall asleep. I moved closer to him, not wanting him to leave. It had gotten late and I was afraid I was going to fall asleep. My head fell slowly towards his shoulder, so slowly that it almost hurt my neck. But then I felt his hand against my head as he pressed it to his shoulder, his fingers playing in my hair.

My heart beat faster than it ever had. This was actually happening. I was here, with Luke, leaning against him as we watched the stars. It was the most romantic moment of my whole life and I never wanted it to end.

"This was where my mom and dad met for the first time," Luke suddenly whispered, "I don't remember why… but Dad says the second they looked at each other they fell in love. Corny, huh?"

I laughed softly and turned my head up to look at his face. It was so close. It was _right there. _I had to touch it. My hand slithered up and touched his cheek gently. He didn't even flinch.

"It's not corny at all," I murmured, "I think it's… very… sweet…"

His lips came down on mine and I felt like my whole body was going to burst from the happiness swelling inside my heart. He was kissing me, holding me, touching me. _Me. _Just me and him, together, in our own little piece of heaven.

**Awwwwww:-) How adorable. **


	7. Another Side

**Now Luke and Akari are all lovey-dovey... yay! But of course, it's not a story without complications...**

**This chapter also shows a side of Luke rarely seen, so I hope it brings some depth and realism to him. **

**I don't own Harvest Moon**

Chapter 7

I got up earlier than I ever had the next morning. My body felt like it was on a huge caffeine rush. I had to go see Luke as soon as I could. I had to make sure that last night wasn't a dream.

I'd never gotten ready so fast. It was barely six in the morning when I ran out of my house and started heading for him. _Please don't let it be a dream. Please let it be real. Please._

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted as a force smacked into me, making me grunt and fall on my butt. Goddess, that hurt! Did I run into a freight train or something?

"Akari?" a voice asked, "Akari? Oh, shit, Akari, I'm _so _sorry! I was in such a hurry to see you and I wasn't watching where I was going and…"

I couldn't help but giggle as I heard Luke rambling and smiled up at his mortified face.

"I'm fine, Luke," I said, "I promise nothing's broken."

"Oh. That's good!"

He beamed and offered me his arm, hoisting me to my feet with such force that I flew into his arms. He caught me and started twirling me around, both of us laughing. I didn't care that he was holding me so tight I could barely breathe. All that mattered was that he was holding me.

When he set me down I felt like I was going to puke from being so dizzy. I felt a pair of lips on my forehead and instantly felt a million times better. I looked up into Luke's golden eyes and let him peck me on the nose, his hands finding mine. The smooth leather felt good against my skin and I gently rested my head against his chest.

"You're so light, Akari," he sighed, "You weigh about as much as a feather."

"Thanks?" I giggled.

He smiled and kissed the top of my head, lacing his fingers through mine and giving my hands a gentle squeeze. It was hard to believe that this was actually happening.

"Hey, I have to go to the library to pick up a book on animal care," I said, "Cain's giving me a calf soon… wanna come?"

"Sure!"

I laughed at the enthusiasm in his voice. I knew he wasn't crazy about academics, so it was no surprise he wouldn't want to go to the library. But since it was with me, he didn't seem to mind. The library was in town hall, so we were greeted by Hamilton, who was as cheery as always. He let us into the library, which I saw was bigger than expected. There were several bookcases that wrapped around the room and a few tables in the middle. Only one other person in there and they were at a table reading a book.

That person was Gill.

He looked up and saw us, his eyes instantly narrowing. Since he didn't know me as well, he turned his harassment on Luke.

"_You're_ in a _library?" _he snickered, "Oh, that's rich. Good luck finding a book that _he _can read, Akari."

Luke started to open his mouth for a comeback, but I squeezed his hand. I didn't want any fighting, especially in a library. I just wanted to find the book and get out. Luke sighed and reluctantly followed me over to the first shelf, glaring at Gill as he did.

The bookshelves were inhumanly high, so high that not even Luke could reach the top shelf. If Owen was there it'd be better, but he wasn't. And, knowing my luck, the book I needed was probably on the top shelf.

"I'm gonna look for a ladder," I said, "If you see anything, just pull it off the shelf."

He nodded and started scanning the spines of the books as I went to the other side of the library, looking for a ladder. Of course, I had no luck. Typical. As much as I hated doing it, I went over to Gill to see if he knew where it was. At first he just gave me a disgusted look and returned to his book.

"Gill, please?" I sighed, "I just need one book and I'll get out of your hair."

He sighed and closed his book, setting it on the table and looking up at me.

"It's in the supply closet," he said, "You can ask my dad for the key."

I rolled my eyes. Of course. Things just couldn't be simple. I looked up to see where Luke was, hoping he hadn't pulled off a bunch of books. He hadn't. What he was doing was much worse. He was climbing up the bookshelf, trying to get to the top. My jaw dropped and I watched in horror as he struggled to climb, his eyes scanning the books at every new level.

Gill looked up and saw my mortified expression, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"What's your problem?" he snorted.

I just gaped. I knew I had to tell Luke to get off but my vocal cords weren't working. He was so far off the ground. What if he fell? What if he got hurt? It'd be my fault.

Gill turned and gasped at the sight of Luke, who had made it to the top shelf.

"_What the hell are you doing?" _Gill screamed.

Luke, who had innocently been trying to get me a book, was caught off guard and fell against the bookshelf, causing it to fall and knock the next one down, and the next one, and the one after that… Soon all the bookcases were on the floor, the books scattered and lying in heaps. Luke sat on the top of the first pile, nervously holding a book with the title: _"Farming for Beginners"._

Oh, Luke.

"_You idiot!" _

Luke jumped at the sound of hatred in Gill's voice as he stormed over to the embarrassed carpenter.

"You're such an _idiot!" _Gill wailed, "You moron! Numskull! How stupid can you be?"

Luke looked like he was on the verge of tears. I wanted to go over and defend him, but my feet were glued to the floor. What was wrong with me? I had to help him!

"I… I…" Luke breathed, "I just wanted t-to get the b-book…"

"Have you ever heard of a ladder?" Gill barked, "It's this magical new device! Oh, wait! You're too damn stupid to know!"

"Gill…" I finally breathed.

He whirled around to face me, his cheeks flaming red.

"And _you!" _he cried, "He's an idiot! What were you thinking, bringing him to an educational establishment? Of course he'd just ruin it!"

I looked over at Luke, the book shaking in his hands. I'd never seen anyone look so upset in my life. He looked like a puppy that'd just been kicked. And it was all my fault.

"He's just a pathetic excuse for a person!" Gill ranted, "He's a waste of life! We'd be better off having a monkey working for Dale!"

That seemed to break Luke apart. Without a word, he got up, flung the book to the ground and ran out faster than I thought possible.

"Luke!" I cried.

But it was no use. He was too fast. He'd probably be home before I even got out of Harmonica Town. Poor guy.

"Good riddance," Gill snorted.

That was enough. I whirled around so that I was practically standing on top of Gill. I was actually almost as tall as him, so I could look into his beady little eyes.

"You ass!" I screeched, "You're horrible! How _dare _you say those things?"

Gill looked at me shocked. I'd never blown up like that… well, ever. But then again, I'd never been so mad at anyone.

"B-Because they're t-true," Gill said.

"_You're _the idiot if you think that's true!" I yelled, "Luke is twice the man you could _ever _be! He's sweet and kind and funny _and_ _smart._ You will _never _be as close to perfect as he is!"

Gill just stared at me. I'd left him speechless. Another thing I'd never done before. It was kind of cool to be honest. But I didn't want to look at him anymore. I left in a huff, slamming the door behind me. The first thing I noticed was that Hamilton wasn't there. My heart sunk. Had he run off after Luke to punish him? What if he kicked him off the island? I started to run towards the door when a hand wrapped around my wrist. I expected Gill to be stopping me, so I turned around and prepared to cuss him out as much as I could.

But the only thing was that it wasn't Gill. It was Luke.

"I… I can't believe you stood up for me like that," he whispered softly.

I could see the appreciation in his eyes and stepped closer to him, letting him wrap his arms around me.

"Of course I did," I sighed, "Luke, everything I said was true… you're the most amazing person I've ever met."

He took my chin in his hands and made me look up at him. His beautiful eyes were rimmed with tears and I died to reach up and brush them away.

"That's not true," he breathed, "Akari… you and I both know I'm not smart… I'm an idiot."

"Stop it! You're _not _an idiot!"

I tried to take his face in my hands but he pulled away, hugging himself and looking down at the floor.

"Gill's right," he mumbled, "I'm not smart… I just mess everything up."

"Luke…"

"And I can't do that to you, Akari. I can't mess you up."

I looked at him shocked. What was he talking about? He could never mess me up. He was perfect.

"Luke, you won't –"

"Think about it, Akari," he sighed, "What… what if we got married? What if we had kids? I wouldn't be able to help them with their homework and if they wanted to have friends over they'd be too embarrassed to because of me… You wouldn't want to be married to the town idiot."

I honestly couldn't believe what I was hearing. How could he think that? It didn't make any sense to me. I walked over and wrapped my arms around his waist, not caring that he tried to pull away from me.

"Don't talk like that, Luke," I whispered, "You're so wonderful just how you are… your kids would be anything but embarrassed by you."

"But, I –"

I stretched up on my toes and placed my lips over his, silencing his protest. His arms slowly wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer, his lips responding to mine. I slowly pulled away and made him look me in the eye.

"You're perfect, Luke," I breathed, "I couldn't ask for someone more amazing."

He smiled weakly, his lips trembling.

"You're perfect, too, Akari. You really are."

**I didn't actually mean to make Gill such a jerk here. It just kind of happened. I apologize to all Gill fans. He just had to be very opposite from Luke. (P.S. Poor Luke)**


	8. Three Little Words

**I probably shouldn't even comment... the chapter title gives it away...:-)**

**I don't own Harvest Moon**

Chapter 8

Luke's POV

As I walked out of my house, I could see Owen heading towards the mines, his hammer slung over his shoulder. Perfect! Just the guy I was looking for! I quickly darted over to him, holding my ax tightly. Once I got up to him, I saw him glance down at me and give me a smile. People who thought I was tall had never met Owen. My head hardly reached his shoulders and on top of that he was insanely muscular, making him look even bigger. Yeah, he was four years older than me, but that was no excuse for me looking so scrawny in comparison.

"Hey, Luke," he said, "What's up?"

"I gotta ask you something!"

I was even more hyper than usual for some reason. It was summer now, which meant my birthday was coming, so that could have been it. Plus, the heat always did weird things to me.

"Yes?" he asked through a laugh.

"I wanted to know if you and Kathy wanted to go on a double date with me and Akari," I said, "I was gonna try and get Toby and Renee to come, too."

He raised his thick brow in surprise.

"Wouldn't that be a triple date?" he snickered.

"You know what I mean! I'm trying to get Akari to be more social and I thought this would be good!"

"A date helps her be social?"

"Owen!"

I loved the guy but sometimes he got too annoying for his own good.

"Sure, we'll come," he laughed, "How about at the Brass Bar? Seven?"

"Cool! I'll go ask Toby and Renee!"

Of course, they were able to go too, which meant that everything was set. Toby and Owen had always been my best friends, even though I was younger than them. They were the only ones who really stuck up for me when everyone else thought I was a screw-up.

Obviously Akari agreed, so at seven that night the six of us were seated at a table in the bar, looking at the menus to find something to eat. Akari and I were the youngest and couldn't have any drinks, but Owen and Kathy had no problem downing plenty of them. Toby and Renee, the calmest of us, simply had water and ate fairly average food. Akari and I had some soda, and she got a hamburger while I got some spicy thing I'd never heard before. The second I took a bite it felt like my mouth was on fire and I had to down my entire soda to cool it off. Akari laughed and gave me half her burger.

As we ate, some kind of exotic music started to play. We looked over and saw that there was a woman dancing on the small stage in the corner. There was no denying that she was attractive: sun-tanned skin, red hair in an intricate bun and a belly-dancing type costume.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"_Her?" _Kathy said in a slurred voice, "That's _Selena. _She's our new dancer from Toucan Island. You think she's hot or something?"

I turned red and took a sip of my drink. Yeah, Selena was pretty hot. But I wasn't going to say it out loud. Apparently, I didn't have to. Akari looked at me mortified and pushed herself away from the table, storming out of the bar.

"Uh oh!" Owen hiccupped, "Your date's running away! You should ask Selena to join us!"

"Shut up, Owen!" I snapped, "You're drunk!"

I quickly ran after Akari, ignoring Owen and Kathy's abnormally loud laughter behind me. I saw her standing over the bridge and could hear her sobs. Damn, what had I done?

"Akari…"

"Go away!" she cried, her voice thick with tears.

Of course, I didn't listen. I walked over to her and gently placed my hands on her shoulders to try and soothe her. Instead, she ripped away from me, turning around to glare up at my face.

"You jerk!" she wept, "How could you? Making googly-eyes at some other girl while _we're _on a date!"

"Akari! I wasn't making googly-eyes at her! I was just watching her dance."

That was true. Not one thought had passed through my mind about wanting Selena over Akari. Not one. She sniffled.

"You think she's prettier than me…"

Now that was _absurd. _I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close even though she tried to break free.

"I do not," I said honestly, "Akari, you're the most beautiful girl in the world… I love you."

Her eyes widened and she caught her breath as she stared at me. I wasn't surprised. That was the first time I'd ever told her that. And it was absolutely true.

"You… you l-love m-me?"

I smiled and nodded, tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

"Of course," I whispered, "You're beautiful and smart and funny and sweet and hard-working and you laugh at all my jokes and you aren't embarrassed by me… Akari, how could I not love you?"

I kissed her gently, loving the feel of her lips against mine. When I pulled away, I saw tears running down her cheeks. Oh, shit! What'd I do? Why was she crying? I should've known I'd just mess this up.

"Akari, I'm sorry," I said frantically, "I didn't mean to make you cry I just love you so much and I felt like I had to tell you or I'd blow up, I didn't mean to make you sad I'd never want to make you sad because I love you…"

She smiled weakly and reached up to put her hand against my face.

"I'm not sad, Luke," she whimpered, "I'm happy because I love you, too."

My heart almost gave out. She loved me. We felt the same way about each other. Without thinking, I scooped her up in my arms bridal style and started spinning in circles, crying out happily. She squealed and wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her face against my chest.

This was the best day of my life.

**So far everything's happy. Yay! But... we're barely in to the good stuff! AH!**


	9. Taking Risks

**FINALLY we get some action! Sorta! But hey, sorta is better than none!**

**I don't own Harvest Moon**

Chapter 9

Akari's POV

So much happened so fast. The biggest event had to be the fact that Toby and Renee got married. It was super adorable and I was really happy for my best friend. After their wedding, Owen popped the question on Kathy, who of course said yes. Apparently, there was a tradition on the island that people proposed with a blue feather. I didn't know why, but I just went with it. Luke had his birthday and I got him a chocolate banana, which he absolutely loved. I spent practically every second with him and people thought it was extremely sweet. Ah, young love. It was so wonderful!

One day towards the end of summer, I skipped merrily up to the carpenter's. I was so excited to see Luke. We were getting really serious now and I couldn't help but wonder if he'd pop the question like Toby and Owen. But I doubted it. We were so young! Still… I hoped. When I got to the carpenter's I was surprised to see Dale answering.

"Akari!" he said surprised, "W-What are you doing here?"

He seemed nervous, which I'd never seen in Dale before. He was always as solid as a rock. Something was up.

"Looking for Luke," I said.

Duh. What else would I be doing?

"He's… he's not home right now."

What? I went to Luke's every day and was greeted with a hug and kiss and what our plans were for the day. He was never gone in the morning.

"Where is he?"

"Uh… He's… Working."

I wanted to believe him. I really did. But it was so obviously a lie that I couldn't even pretend to believe him.

"Dale, please. Is he hurt?"

My stomach lurched. Oh no. What if he'd got hurt at work? What if he cut himself with his ax by accident? What if a tree fell on him? What if he was dead?

"Akari! Calm down!"

I realized I was hyperventilating when Dale grabbed my shoulders, looking at me worriedly.

"He's fine," he assured me, "He's out running an errand. He'll be back soon, I promise. Until then, would you like to stay and have some breakfast?"

When he spoke, he looked like he was speaking the truth. I had to believe him. I didn't want to know where Luke was if he was lying. So I accepted Dale's offer and went inside to have breakfast with him and Bo. Dale was actually a pretty good cook and I couldn't help but wonder if Luke was, too.

"Do you always cook?" I asked as I helped clear the plates.

"Nah, not always," Dale sighed, "Luke helps me out. His mom was a great cook and he was lucky enough to get the gene. He's the one who's taught me how to cook."

I smiled. Luke just got more and more adorable every day. He was pretty much perfect. As I washed the dishes, I noticed Dale looking over at me, a faint smile on his face. At first it was sweet, but when it lasted longer than I thought it would it got kind of creepy. He noticed I was freaked out and started drying a plate.

"Sorry," he said, "You just remind me a lot of my wife…"

I blushed. Luke never really talked about his mom, but I did know that she had died when he was younger. I couldn't imagine going through that as a child.

"I met her when I was Luke's age," Dale continued, "Looked at her and I knew she was the one…"

I remembered Luke telling me that before but it was even sweeter to hear it from Dale. It sounded more realistic coming from him.

"We were madly in love," he continued, "Got married and couldn't be happier… then Luke came and I was proven wrong. I remember looking at him and just staring at him because he was so… amazing. It was hard to believe that I'd helped bring him into the world."

A glistening tear rolled down his cheek, catching me off guard. This was all so unlike Dale. I'd never seen him like this.

"He's such a good kid, Akari," he murmured, "He has his moments, but he's got a good heart… and he's so in love with you. Head over heels… Please don't hurt him."

I blinked in surprise. Hurt him? Why in the world would I ever hurt Luke? He was everything to me and more.

"I'd never hurt him," I said honestly, "I love him as much as he loves me."

Dale smiled, more tears welling in his eyes. I wondered what had put him in such an emotional mood. Whatever it was it had to be pretty significant to make Dale cry.

Just as we finished cleaning the dishes, there was a banging at the door. An urgent, desperate banging.

"What in the world?" Dale muttered.

I followed him and was surprised when he opened the door to reveal Julius of all people, gasping for air.

"Julius?" Dale said in surprise, "What brings you here?"

The feminine man took a moment to catch his breath before answering.

"Luke! There was an accident in the mines! Owen got him out, but he's at the clinic now…"

I watched Dale's face pale in horror as he staggered back a few steps, covering his mouth with his hand. After hearing what he'd said about Luke and how much he loved him, this had to happen… wait… _Luke! _

I sprinted out of the building and down the hill, heading to Harmonica Town as fast as I could. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't be. Not to Luke. What was he doing in the mines anyways? He was a carpenter not a blacksmith! When I burst through the clinic, I saw Owen and Kathy sitting in chairs beside the front desk, where Irene was writing something on a notepad. Owen saw me and quickly got up, cautiously placing his huge hands on my shoulders.

"Where is he?" I gasped, "Where's Luke? Oh, Goddess, where _is _he?"

"Akari, relax," Owen said, "Jin's taking care of him right now. He'll let us know when we can see him."

I just continued to hyperventilate. This wasn't right. It didn't make any sense. This couldn't be real!

"What was he doing in the mines?" I wept, "He-he's a c-carpenter!"

Owen and Kathy exchanged a look, making me feel even more confused. What did they know that I didn't?

"He was looking for something," Owen said as he looked back at me, "He made me promise not to tell you."

"He's in the hospital, damn it! What was so important that he almost got himself killed?"

"Akari, I _can't _tell you! It would ruin everything!"

I put my face in my hands and sobbed hard. This wasn't fair. No one was telling me anything. Why? Did they think I couldn't handle it? Did they think I was too young? Whatever it was, I could take it! Owen stepped away and Kathy came over to me, gently taking my hand and taking me to sit in the chair beside her.

"Akari, please look at me."

Unfortunately, Kathy was probably my closest friend besides Renee and easily got what she wanted out of me. I brought my wet face up to look at her sympathetic expression. She clutched my hands in hers, smiling sweetly.

"He's going to be fine," she told me, "And once he's better, he'll tell you what it was. It's not for me or Owen or anyone else to tell."

"But he t-told you…"

"Actually he only told Owen and Toby since they're his best friends. Owen told me and Toby told Renee but other than that only Dale knows. Oh, Akari, I promise you that everything is going to be just fine."

I sniffled as she gently rubbed my back. She was like the big sister I never had. I had to believe that she was right. Luke had to be okay. He just had to.

**Poor Luke... wow I say that a lot (foreshadow?) What will happen to him? Will he live? Why was he in the mines? What was he looking for? Why am I asking so many questions? **


	10. Questions

**So now we get to find out the answers to all the questions I asked in the last chapter! Finally!**

Chapter 10

When Jin came out, I didn't even wait for him to say anything. I shoved myself past him, darting to the room my precious Luke was being held in. At first I didn't see anything. Just white walls, some medical equipment and a bed. Then I saw who was _in _the bed. His head turned towards me and I saw him smile.

"Akari…"

"_Oh, Luke!"_

I darted to the bed and practically threw myself on top of him, holding his face and kissing him all over. He moaned contentedly, unable to return my affection in the state he was in.

"You idiot!" I wept, "What the hell were you doing? Don't _ever _scare me like that again! Oh, Luke…"

"Good to see you, too," he said with a weak laugh.

I rolled my eyes and caressed his face gently, looking at him worriedly. I didn't see any casts on him, so I assumed whatever happened was either a lot of small things or something internal.

"What were you doing?" I sighed, "Luke, the mines aren't safe…"

"I know," he sighed, "And I should have told you I was going there, but… I was going to get you something."

I raised my brows in surprise. So he really was getting something. And apparently it was for me. But what could I possibly want in a mine?

"What would that be?"

He grinned and reached up to touch my cheek.

"I'll show you soon, okay? Now's not the time."

I groaned but wasn't too mad with him for long. It was sweet of him to go get me something, but I didn't want him getting hurt to do it. Jin came in then, with Kathy and Owen behind him. I asked him what was wrong with Luke and he said he had some internal bleeding but was able to stop it, much to my relief. He could even go home that night.

It was late when we did finally leave and the moon and stars lit the sky. As Luke and I walked one way, I noticed Owen give him a thumbs up and smile. Hmm. That was odd. Kathy smiled and took Owen's hand so they could go back to the bar. Luke and I walked home hand in hand, my head kind of leaning against his arm. We got to my house and I expected Luke to kiss me goodnight and go home. But he didn't.

Instead, he took me in his arms and smiled down at me, his golden eyes sparkling.

"What?" I asked.

"I have something for you," he whispered.

He bent down and gently pressed his lips to mine, squeezing my waist. I kissed back, not understanding what this was all about. One of his arms disappeared and I expected it to come up to my hair or face. But it didn't. As I was about to pull away, I felt something soft against my cheek, something that wasn't him. I pulled away slightly and looked to see what was touching me.

And there, in his hand, was a blue feather.

I gasped and backed up, flinging my hands over my mouth. Oh, Goddess. He was proposing to me! He was actually _proposing! _As I hyperventilated, Luke quickly reached out and took my hand in his free one. When he got down on one knee I started bawling.

"Akari," he sighed, _"This _is what I was looking for in the mines. I know I'm stupid but what I'm doing… I know it's right. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me, please!"

I couldn't' speak. I could hardly breathe. This was really happening.

"I love you, Akari," he continued, "You're all I think about, all day and all night, in my dreams and when I'm awake. I've never felt this way before, so at first I wasn't sure what it was, but now I know."

What was I supposed to do? For one I couldn't stop crying so it was impossible to answer him. Second of all, we were so young! I was still nineteen.

"I know we're young," he whispered as if reading my mind, "But I love you _so _much. Just… please stay by my side and I'll stay by yours. Will you marry me?"

I covered my mouth and stared at him, his golden eyes giving me a loving gaze. I knew he was right. We were in love and people who were in love got married. That was just the thing. And how could I say no to that face?

"Luke, you're crazy!"

For a second it looked like I'd crushed all his hopes, but I quickly reached out and squeezed his free hand.

"But I think I'm even crazier for saying yes."

His eyes widened and for a split second it was just staring at each other in awe. Then he sprung to his feet and picked me up, swinging me around in circles so I got good and dizzy. We laughed and kissed and told each other how much we loved each other as he carried me inside my house, quickly locking the door before taking me towards the bed.

I squeaked as we fell on top of it, my breathing turning rapid. This was it. It was actually going to happen.

As I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down for what was about to happen, I could only think one thing:

_My parents are going to kill me. _

**Bet you didn't see that coming! Cliffhangers are just my specialty lately.**

**Also, I've recently been getting reviews and it turns out that I really enjoy reading them and it gives me the encouragement I need to write. So as long as you have any good ideas, keep the reviews coming! Writer's block is known to hit at any time!**


	11. Brilliant

**First off, I just want to say that I really appreciated the reviews. They mean a lot and practically forced me to get this chapter out so fast!**

**On another note, this chapter's kind of a filler but it reveals a little about Akari's family life. Enjoy!**

Chapter 11

Luke's POV

The smell of scrambled eggs wafted through the air, instantly making my eyes open. That was my favorite thing to have for breakfast, but Dad wasn't very good at making them. Usually it was just toast or pancakes. But eggs? I had to know what was going on.

I sat up in the bed slowly, propping myself up on one elbow. When I looked down, I noticed that I wasn't in my own bed. What? My hand went up to scratch my head and I instantly noticed that something was terribly wrong. My bandana was missing. The world as we knew it was coming to an end.

"Morning, sleepyhead," a cheerful voice giggled.

I jumped and turned to see Akari cooking in the kitchen, a fluffy white robe wrapped around her body. A piece of fabric was wrapped around her head like a headband and tied in a bow at the top. Once my vision adjusted, I realized that it was my bandana.

Wait. I was in her house, in her _bed_ and she was wearing my bandana… _Oh. _It finally became clear.

As I quickly pulled on my boxers and shirt, I noticed the blue feather I gave her resting on the nightstand, a smile lighting up my face. It was so amazing how something so simple could make me so damn happy!

My usual energy suddenly surged into me and I leapt across the room to Akari, wrapping my arms around her waist and squeezing her tight. She yelped and almost dropped the pan of eggs all over us, yet somehow managing to keep a grip on the handle.

"Luke! Goddess, you scared me!"

I smirked and kissed her cheek, my heart beating faster than it ever had. She was mine. All mine and no one else's. It felt so good!

"Sorry," I sighed, "I was just so happy to see you!"

She blushed and I kissed her again, tickling her waist a little. She squeaked again, but luckily she'd set the pan down so it didn't fly in the air and make it rain eggs.

"Stop!" she cried, "Luke! Please!"

Of course I ignored her. What fun would it be if I stopped and just acted normal? Then I'd be like Gill. I shuddered at the thought. The last person I wanted to be like was Gill. So, I scooped Akari up in my arms and started running around her house, spinning in an attempt to make ourselves as dizzy as possible. It seemed to work because a few minutes later we were both lying on the floor, laughing our heads off. She somehow managed to move closer to me and rested her head on my chest, both of us still in hysterics.

It was just so easy being with her. We weren't afraid of being ourselves and didn't need to act better. We loved each other for who we were. I couldn't ask for anything more.

She flopped over so that her cheek rested on my chest, her pretty face looking at me dreamily.

"I never thought I could be this happy," she whispered, "After my childhood, it's just… thank you, Luke. I don't know what I'd do if I never met you."

My heart swelled with pride. No one had ever said anything even similar to me. All I got was "Luke, you're such an idiot" or "Luke, if you weren't here, everything would've worked out." But this was different. This was a compliment. And it felt so much better.

"Crap! The eggs!" she gasped.

With surprising agility, she jumped up and ran to the oven, quickly sliding the eggs onto two plates, each of which already had a piece of toast.

"I hope you don't mind if they're a little… done," she mumbled embarrassed as I got up to join her at the table.

"Of course not," I said, "They're perfect, just like you."

She blushed as she took a bite of the eggs, which actually were really good. She'd made them just right. As she washed the dishes, I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist again, resting my chin on the top of her head.

"Do you wanna come over for dinner tonight?" I asked, "So Dad can hear the news and all?"

"Aren't you going to tell him when you get home?"

I shrugged. I kinda wanted to wait to tell him so that Akari and I could deliver the news together, but she had a point. When I went home he'd ask where I'd been so I'd have to tell him. Damn.

"Wanna come with me?" I asked, "It'd be so much better if we both told him… after all you're his future daughter."

She turned around and leaned against the counter, my arms still tight around her waist. I thought she'd be happy, but for some reason her eyes said otherwise.

"Luke," she murmured, "Um, I don't know how to tell you this, but…"

At first I started panicking. Was she rejecting me? Did she not want me anymore? Had all of this just been some kind of game?

"My parents are… not the best."

I sighed with relief and pulled her against me, a confused noise coming from her lips.

"What?" she asked, "Why are you glad?"

"I thought you were rejecting me," I admitted, "Akari, I don't care if your parents aren't the best. If it wasn't for them, you wouldn't be here right now. They're my heroes."

"Luke…"

I squeezed her and brushed my lips against her forehead. Her parents really were amazing since they gave me Akari. I couldn't thank them enough. Or could I?

"Akari! We should invite your parents here for the wedding! I bet they'd love to see you married off!"

Her face went pale at the sight of my huge grin.

"L-Luke I really d-don't think we should…"

"Come on, Akari! You can't not tell your parents about your wedding! It's the biggest day of your life!"

"But they're…"

I glanced over at the clock to see that I was supposed to be at work three hours ago. Shit! Dad was going to skin me alive!

"Hey, I have to go to work," I said, "I'm sorry… Will you come over for dinner around seven?"

"Sure, but Luke –"

"Sorry, gotta go!"

I ran over and pulled my vest and jeans on before giving her a goodbye kiss and heading out the door as fast as I could. I'd stop by and see Dad to tell him I was okay and avoid him until Akari came over for dinner. It was perfect.

Akari's POV

Well that settled it. I was doomed. My parents were going to hear I was marrying a carpenter and have me kidnapped and sent back to Mineral Town. Ew. They'd always been like that: thinking I had to have the best of everything. After a while, it got really annoying. Especially when it came to boys. They'd try to get the rich snobby boys to ask me out by bribing them and even got the nerve to make one of them propose. That was one of the reasons I left Mineral Town – to get away from them.

But now Luke wanted them to come and everything would be ruined.

Once I got dressed, I realized that Luke's bandana was still wrapped in my hair. I didn't really remember how it'd gotten there, but I knew that I had to get it back to Luke as soon as possible. He'd probably die without it. But just as I started to head towards my door, there was a light knocking at it. It was probably Luke looking for his bandana.

Instead, I came face to face with Gill, who had an almost smug grin on his face. Great. What did he want?

"Can I help you?" I sighed.

He opened his mouth to speak but caught sight of the bandana on my head. A look of what seemed like horror flashed across his face, making me fidget nervously. Now he knew what I'd been doing last night. Fabulous. I hoped he was too naïve to understand, but the look on his face said he was more than capable of comprehending it.

"There's a boat at the docks," he said, "They claim to know you… a George and Carol? I've never seen them before."

I literally almost passed out on the floor; I had to grab the door to hold myself up.

No. They couldn't be here! They couldn't!

"Akari… are you okay?"

For once, Gill actually sounded like he cared. I tried to take a step away to prove I was fine, but my legs gave out and I almost fell flat on my face. Gill managed to reach out and catch me, barely keeping me on my feet.

"Geez, Akari! What's your problem?"

"They're here… they came… I'm doomed."

"Who?"

I gulped and felt my body tremble.

"My parents."

**Luke is just so blissfully unaware it kills me. I was going to write the second half of this as its own chapter but a case of writer's block is starting to set in on me:( Please review!**


	12. Breaking Chains

**I really wanted to get this chapter done and out of the way ASAP so I apologize if it seems kind of rushed. Even though it is, it's still a crucial part in the plot and not just a filler.**

Chapter 12

It wasn't like I hated my parents or anything. I loved them, but it was more forced than it was supposed to be. People were supposed to just love their parents because they were their parents. But it wasn't like that for me. It wasn't natural.

So when I saw my parents walking up the path towards my house, I wasn't exactly all smiles. Neither were they. I really wasn't like either of them. My dad was a tall, stiff man with graying brown hair and a hard face. It was kind of a miracle to see him smile. My mother was too thin for her small frame and she always looked at me with condescending brown eyes. Lovable, right?

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad."

My mom's mouth moved in a greeting while my dad just gave me a tight nod. I'd only seen them for a few seconds and I already was glad I didn't live with them anymore.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"It's been so long since you left," my mother explained, "We wanted to surprise you by coming and seeing how you are. Surprise."

A surprise it certainly was. My mom noticed my nervous expression and actually showed compassion by placing her hand on my shoulder.

"What is it?" she asked, "You don't look very happy…"

"It's nothing… just… I wish you told me you were coming…"

_So I could warn Luke. He's going to flip when he realizes how awful my parents are. _

And just to make the situation that much worse, loud footsteps thudded behind me and I turned to see Luke jogging down the hill, his longish blue hair bouncing since it wasn't hidden beneath his bandana. Shit. It was still in my hair.

I started to reach up to take it out, but I was too late. Luke got to me and scooped me up in his arms, twirling around like he did so often. Normally I loved it and would laugh with him, but this was different. My parents were watching with mortified expressions. Luke set me down and untied the bandana from my hair, kissing the top of my head gently as he did.

"Sorry," he muttered, "But I got home and realized it was gone and I just… well you know. This thing is like a part of me!"

I stood there speechless. How could he not see my parents? How could he not see the disgusted look they were giving us?

"L-Luke…"

"Yeah?" he asked with a smile as he tied the bandana around his head.

I tilted my head to the side and he furrowed his brows in confusion. Damn it, Luke! Sometimes I wish he was just a little brighter. My mother cleared her throat and Luke finally looked over at them, his golden eyes widening.

"Hello," my mom said in an irritated voice, "I'm Carol, and this is my husband, George. We're Akari's parents. And you are…?"

But instead of answering, Luke ran over and wrapped his arms around my parents, pulling them into a tight hug. I flung my hand over my mouth in horror as my parents looked at him appalled. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. There was no way.

Luke pulled away when he realized they weren't hugging back and came over to me, wrapping an arm around my waist, my father's eyes darkening.

"I'm sorry," my mother said flustered, "Who are you?"

"Hmm? Oh, right! I'm Luke! Akari's fiancé!"

My mother actually fainted at that yet my father somehow managed to hold her up, giving Luke a dirty look. My clueless fiancé turned to me, his eyes lost.

"Luke, I tried to tell you," I whimpered, "They're… they're just not like you."

"You got that right," my father snapped.

I gripped Luke's arm and hid my face in it. The train wreck was already happening and I didn't want to witness it.

"Hey, now," Luke said, "I don't know where you come from, but here we don't say stuff like that. Everyone's nice to each other. Well except Gill since he's kind of an ass and Chase doesn't really like anybody and Julius is just…"

"Luke!" I hissed as I tugged on his arm.

He looked down at me and his eyes widened as he realized he'd been rambling. My father narrowed his eyes and my mother suddenly came to, gasping for air and frantically fanning herself with her hand.

"What? What happened? I dreamt some psychotic boy came and _hugged _us and said he was marrying Akari!"

She looked up and saw Luke, almost fainting again.

"Hey, I'm not psychedelic!" Luke snapped.

"Psychotic, honey," I muttered in embarrassment, "She said psychotic."

Both my parents wrinkled their noses in disgust simultaneously – it was kind of creepy how often they did it. Luke's face turned red, though I wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment, anger or both.

"I don't care!" Luke said in attempt to recover, "That's still mean! I won't be treated that way!"

Wow. No one had ever spoken up to my parents before. I had to admit, it was kind of cool to see the shocked expressions on their faces. But the next thing I knew, my dad was pulling me by my wrist towards Harmonica Town, towards the boat.

"Stop!" I cried in protest, "Let me go! What are you doing?"

"You're coming home, Akari," my mother said sternly, "This place has turned you into a… a… something bad! You need to go home and be cleansed!"

The way she said it made her sound like she was going to brainwash me.

A shiver rippled through my body at the thought. That was just a little too creepy. But I wouldn't let them win. Not this time.

I jerked out of my father's hold and ran back to Luke, who instantly wrapped his arms around me protectively as I clung to the front of his shirt as tightly as I could.

"Akari!" my mother gasped in shock, "Get back here this instant!"

"No!" I wept, "You're not controlling me anymore! I'm staying here, with Luke and we're getting married and you aren't gonna stop us!"

I'd never spoken to my parents that way before. The sensation it gave me made my body tremble violently. I'd actually stood up for myself. It felt… good.

For a while, Luke and I just stood there, holding each other as tightly as we could so that nothing could separate us.

"They left," he said after a while.

I sighed in relief and let my tears dampen his shirt. Even though I'd spoken up for myself, I couldn't cry in front of them. In fact, the only person I could cry in front of was Luke. He was the only one who understood me.

The only one who ever would.

**So kind of a sad ending. But at least Akari's not a slave to her parents anymore! Review please because I honestly am having major writer's block right now:(**


	13. Devious

**So a lot of people are not liking Akari's parents but are glad to see them gone. But if things just got easy like that, well, it wouldn't be me. Sorry!**

**Oh, by the way, I've been forgetting to say that I don't own Harvest Moon so I don't!**

Chapter 13

Gill's POV

**(Bet you didn't see that coming!)**

I honestly didn't understand what she saw in that incompetent oaf. Honestly! What would compel her (or anyone for that matter) to be attracted to _him? _I didn't understand.

As I sat at the desk in Town Hall, reading a book I'd just gotten from the library, I heard the bell on the door jingle, announcing visitors. Normally my dad dealt with them, but since he was talking to Hayden for some reason, I was in charge. I raised my eyes from the book to see the new strangers, George and Carol or whatever their names were.

"Hello," I said as I put my book down, "Can I help you?"

The woman raised her brows when she saw me and I saw devious grin pull at her lips as she and her husband walked towards me.

"Could you tell me about that Luke boy?" she asked.

I rolled my eyes and heaved a sigh. Why was he so interesting to people? Come on!

"He's an idiot," I muttered, "Spends all his day swinging an axe outside his house and putting passersby at risk. He wouldn't know intelligence if it bit him in the ass."

The two exchanged a glance and the woman put her chin in her hand, looking at me thoughtfully.

"Look," she said, "My husband and I just came here to find out our daughter is marrying that… fool."

I felt myself cringe. They were getting _married? _Since when? Carol leaned in towards me, glancing around to make sure no one was around.

"If you do me a favor and split them up," she whispered, "I'll make sure Akari comes running into _your _arms next."

I raised a brow and felt my cheeks get hot.

"What makes you think I want that?" I snapped.

"I saw how mortified you were when I told you they were getting married," she explained, "I assume that means you like her, too. Besides you seem like a nice, proper boy, much better than that axe murderer."

I smirked a little when she insulted Luke, but could feel an uneasiness bubbling in my stomach. Unfortunately, it was true that I did like Akari; I had no idea why, but something about being near her made me… happy. If Luke hadn't intervened I would have tried to befriend her and maybe even ask her out. Now she could be mine. I could ruin Luke's obnoxious happiness and have Akari all to myself.

The corners of my mouth turned up mischievously. This was perfect.

"How am I supposed to split them up?" I asked.

"I don't know exactly… make Luke look stupider or get him to do something she hates."

"What does she hate?"

The woman pondered this for a moment. Really? It was her daughter for crying out loud! How could she not know what she did and didn't like?

"Snakes!" she suddenly gasped, "Akari is _terrified _of snakes! And thunder, but it's not like you can control that… but if you get that Luke boy to prank her with a snake or something she'd be mortified! Other than that, I can't really think of anything. Perhaps there's some idiot woman who likes him and you can get her to try and help them split up, hmm? Set it up where it looks like one of them is cheating and make _sure _they're caught."

It all sounded so mean and cruel that I wasn't really sure if I could actually do it. Just because I wasn't friendly didn't mean I was evil. But if it meant humiliating Luke and getting Akari then I'd just have to deal with it.

"I'll do it," I said.

"Good. Um, what's your name again?"

"Gill. I'm the mayor's son."

Her face lit up and she clasped her hands together joyously.

"Even better! A high-class man! Well, we're going home, but we'll be back by the wedding. Hopefully you'll have split them up by then and I won't have to watch my daughter throw her life away by marrying that buffoon."

I didn't really know what to say, so I kind of just stood there. What was I supposed to say anyways? This was kind of an awkward situation I'd gotten myself into.

"Goodbye, Gill. We'll see you soon."

"Bye."

And with that, they left Town Hall and headed towards the docks, where I assumed they'd take the boat back home.

Well now what? I had to break up Luke and Akari before their wedding and that would probably be pretty soon. After all, Kathy and Owen had only been engaged for a week and they were getting married in three days! I didn't have time to waste!

Just then, my father walked in, humming to himself.

"Hello, Gill! Did you have any trouble while I was out?"

I shook my head firmly, crossing my arms over my chest. For some reason, I always did that when I was lying as if it would keep people from seeing that I wasn't telling the truth. To me, it was kind of like a shield… even if it didn't work.

Luckily, my dad wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, so he just smiled and shrugged, coming behind the counter as I picked my book up.

"You're going to be a great mayor, Gill!" he said cheerfully, "I can just tell! You're so much like me!"

I rolled my eyes as I flipped the page. Of course I loved him but he tended to think he was the best mayor in history, even though he governed a tiny little island not many people lived on. Quite the accomplishment, Dad.

As he babbled away about being mayor, I pretended to listen and read my book, when in reality, poisonous thoughts of what I'd do to Luke swam through my mind.

**And you all thought the parents would just go away! Sorry, but this idea came into my mind at like ten at night and I just thought it was good because no other LukeXAkari fic I've read has gone down this path. I just wanted to be different! Please review if you have any comments or suggestions!**


	14. Terror

**So the last chapter was a little different since it was told from Gill's perspective, but now we're back to good ol' Luke3**

**I don't own Harvest Moon.**

Chapter 14

Luke's POV

I didn't understand why, but things started to kind of go downhill after my encounter with Akari's parents. She was unhappy the rest of the day and didn't come over for dinner like I'd hoped she would. I told Dad that we were engaged and he congratulated me, but it wasn't as special of a moment as it should have been. Akari should've been there. But I'd blown it with her parents and now she probably hated me. I had to fix things somehow.

In the morning, I got up early and went outside to get a bouquet of flowers for her. Girls liked flowers, right? It seemed to make sense. But as I started to collect the few flowers around my home, I saw a figure coming up the hill. When I squinted my eyes I was able to see a blonde in a perfectly clean, white suit. Gill. Damn, what did he want?

"Hello, Luke!" he said in an unusually cheery voice.

I raised my brow suspiciously. Since when did Gill act nice to me?

"What are you doing?" he asked when he realized I wasn't greeting him back.

"Um, picking some flowers for Akari… I kinda screwed things up with her parents so I feel like I gotta make it up to her."

He nodded in understanding, though I saw a faint smile creep at the sides of his mouth. What was he up to?

"Oh?" he said, "Well, flowers are nice, I guess."

I stopped and turned towards him, holding the few flowers I had in my hand.

"What do you mean, _you guess?" _I asked defensively.

I was anything but romantic so this flower thing was pretty damn impressive in my opinion!

"Well," he sighed dramatically, "It's just that Akari's a farmer, so she _loves _animals."

"What are you saying? That I go steal a puppy?"

He rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest.

"Aren't there any animals around here you… hang out with or something? One that's kind of become like a pet?"

I pondered this for a moment. There _was _Charlie, the snake who I always found over by the entrance to the mines. He was pretty cool for a snake.

"There's Charlie…"

"The snake? Perfect! You should take it to her house and show it to her! Girls love animals!"

I had to admit, I was a little confused about the way Gill was acting. He was never helpful or kind, at least not to me. What suddenly caused the change in attitude? I didn't care too long though because now I had a good idea on what to give to Akari.

I thanked Gill, dropped the flowers and ran over to grab Charlie, who was laying peacefully on a rock. He didn't mind when I picked him up; in fact he just wrapped himself around my arm. I grinned. Akari would be so happy!

I ran down the hill as fast as I could, so excited I could hardly breathe. Akari would like me again and we could still get married and everything would be wonderful! I knocked on the door and waited a minute until a tired Akari opened the door, rubbing her eyes and pulling her robe tighter.

"Luke, what are you –"

"Surprise!"

I thrust my arm towards her so that Charlie's face was almost touching her nose. For a second she just stared at him like she was in a dream and he just sat there. She was so happy she could hardly speak! Yes! Or so I thought.

Her vision adjusted and I watched her eyes turn to the size of dinner plates as she screamed and ran back in her house, jumping on the table and shaking violently.

"What are you _doing _with that? Get it _out! Get it out!"_

I furrowed my brows as I looked down at the snake, who was chilling on my arm. Why was she so scared?

"It's just a snake, Akari," I said as I stepped in the house, "I thought you loved animals."

"That's not an animal! That's… that's… that's wrong! Ew! Get it out of my _house!"_

This didn't make any sense. Gill said she'd love this and Gill was smart (or at least smarter than me) so he was never wrong. I didn't understand. Still, Akari had gone white as a sheet and I didn't want her to faint, so I set the snake down and let it slither back up the hill towards its usual home.

When I went back in her house, Akari was still on the table, trembling and gasping for air. I instantly felt guilty. I hadn't wanted to frighten her; it was just an attempt to make her happy again.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, "I just wanted to fix things after what happened with your parents and I thought an animal would make you happy…"

She looked at me and managed a weak smile, the color beginning to return to her face.

"That's sweet, Luke," she said breathlessly, "But I… I can't stand snakes. That's the one animal that terrifies me."

"Well if I'd known that I wouldn't have even picked it up!"

She smiled down at me, still standing on the table.

"You wanna get down?" I asked through a laugh.

She looked down at the floor, her body still shaking.

"I-I c-can't," she stammered, "What if it c-comes b-back?"

I smiled and walked over to the table, reaching up and lifting her off the table. She caught her breath as I eased her into my arms, her arms wrapped tightly around my neck. Her whole body was tense against mine and I couldn't help but feel even worse. It was my fault she was like this. It was my fault she was so scared.

I knelt down and kissed her forehead, squeezing her body gently for reassurance.

"I'll protect you, love," I breathed, "I promise that I'll always protect you."

She smiled weakly at me and hid her face in my chest.

I smiled back. I really meant it. I'd always protect her. No matter what.

**Well it looks like Gill's first attempt failed. Yay! But of course, things are never that easy... Please review because I am running so low on ideas it's scary.**


	15. Unexpected

**As you all know, Gill is desperately trying to split up Akari and Luke at this time. He's a pretty smart guy, so there's a good chance he'll succeed. But you never know...**

**I don't own Harvest Moon**

Chapter 15

Akari's POV

I'd never seen Kathy like this. She was normally so cheerful and happy, always getting along with everyone. Now she looked like she was about to cry as people tried to comfort her. Today was the day she was getting married to Owen, so I didn't exactly blame her. It was an emotional day. But it was so weird just seeing her sitting there, her face in her hands as the other bridesmaids tried to calm her down.

As I thought she'd start bawling, she looked up and saw me, her eyes widening.

"I have to talk to you… alone," she whispered.

I looked over at Anissa and Renee, who both left the room in the Inn so I could be alone with Kathy. Hesitantly, I sat beside her on the bed, gently placing my hand on her back.

"What's wrong, hon?" I sighed, "You were so excited yesterday…"

"I-I d-don't know if I-I c-can d-do this A-Akari…"

My eyes widened in shock. Was she really wanting to back out now? After everything that had happened?

"Of course you can," I breathed, "Kathy, you love him and he loves you. You guys are meant for each other."

"I know I l-love him, b-but… I'm s-scared about… t-t-tonight…"

Her body trembled and quickly let her head rest against my shoulder as I stroked her back. Poor Kathy. At least now I knew why she was so nervous.

"It'll be okay," I assured, "It's scary at first, but I promise you that you'll be so happy afterwards. It'll be even better because you'll be married, too."

"H-How do y-you know?"

It suddenly dawned upon her and she snapped upright, gaping at me in shock. I just smiled weakly and shrugged.

"Akari!" she gasped, "You and L-Luke already…?"

"Yes, calm down! And since I have, you have to trust me when I tell you that you won't regret it. You love each other, Kathy."

She took a deep breath and took my hands.

"You're right. I can do this."

I beamed and stood up, taking her with me.

"Now come on!" I cried, "Your future awaits!"

It was so sweet to see Hayden walking Kathy down the aisle. His eyes were all welled up with tears just like his daughter's and I saw one of them escape from his eye as he handed her off to Owen, who had the biggest, goofiest grin I'd ever seen plastered on his face. Kathy just barely smiled back at him when he took her hand. The poor thing was scared to death.

As the two exchanged vows, I glanced over at Luke, who stood directly beside Owen. Since I was the maid of honor and he was the best man, we were as close to each other as we could possibly be. But I still wished that he and I were where Kathy and Owen were so we could be the ones dedicating our lives to one another.

The second Owen and Kathy kissed I started applauding, reaching over and patting her shoulder as she wept hysterically. But I could tell she was ecstatic by the electric grin on her lips. She looked so beautiful in her strapless dress, the gloves threatening to fall down her elbows from her vigorous trembling. Owen practically sprinted with her down the aisle and I could hear her laughter floating musically in the air.

Someone cleared their throat and I turned to see that Luke was offering me his arm, waiting patiently. I giggled and linked my arm through his, letting him walk me down the aisle as Renee and Toby, Jin and Anissa, and Candace and Julius followed behind.

The reception was held at the bar (of course) where everyone ate and danced and drank and had a really good time. Owen and Kathy had a sweet first dance together, even though Owen tripped over his feet a few times. Luke made me dance with him almost every song, holding me tightly and kissing my ear every so often. I'd just giggle and rest my head against his chest since I couldn't quite reach his shoulder. I could see Dale standing off to the side, looking at his son with such pride I thought he'd burst.

At dinner, Luke made a toast to his best friend that had quite a few people tearing up, including himself. It was just too sweet! He sat back down and all ate our dinner, which was delightfully delicious. Since I was too young to drink, I just had some cider, though I did catch Luke take a sip of wine. Of course, he spit it back in the cup and almost made me fall out of my chair laughing. He scowled and ruffled my hair playfully, smirking with pride. Since his bandana was still in I couldn't really do anything, so I just smiled and held his hand under the table, which he gladly accepted.

Eventually, the party died down and Kathy and Owen went back to his place. Luke and I stayed behind to help with cleaning up. I'd always hated going to parties and think about the mess it would be in after it ended. I felt like I had to help. But as I bent down to pick up a napkin that had fallen, I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen that made me catch my breath.

"Akari?" Maya gasped, "Are you okay?"

"I'm f-fine!" I breathed.

But the next thing I knew I felt like I was going to hurl, so I darted over to the nearby trashcan and puked up whatever was bothering my stomach so badly.

"Akari? Akari? Akari, are you okay? Baby, what's going on?"

Luke's frantic voice was close and I soon felt his strong hand against my back, rubbing it worriedly.

"I don't know," I moaned.

"Come on, Jin's right next door. Goddess, I hope you're okay."

When we got to Choral Clinic, Irene took me to the back room and ran some tests on me to make sure I wasn't dying anything. Luke hyperventilated beside me the whole time, looking like he was about to burst into tears from the stress. I held his hand for assurance, but not even that seemed to help him. Poor guy.

After a while, Irene came over to us with a manila folder in her hands, smiling at me warmly.

"Is she okay?" Luke asked, "Is something wrong? Is she sick? Is she gonna die? Please, _please, _say she's okay!"

"Luke, she's fine!" Irene said exasperatedly, "There's nothing to worry about… You should actually be celebrating."

Luke furrowed his brows and squeezed my hand.

"You two are going to have a baby," Irene informed us, "Congratulations."

**Hehe I just HAD to put that in there! It was either going to be this chapter or the next one and I got impatient so BAM! If you liked it or if not please review:)**


	16. Moving Fast

**I'm getting really excited now because this is hopefully when most of the excitement comes in from here on out!**

**I don't own Harvest Moon**

Chapter 16

Luke almost fell out of his chair and I almost did the same. A baby? _Now? _Before we were married? This was insane!

"A-A-A b-b-b-baby?" Luke gasped, "Are y-y-you s-s-sure?"

Irene rolled her eyes.

"Yes. I'm a doctor, Luke."

He just sat there, gaping. I didn't exactly blame him. We'd just gotten engaged and now we were going to have a child. That was fast. But secretly, I kind of liked knowing that I was pregnant. I'd always wanted to be a mom and now I was finally going to be one. But judging by Luke's expression, he didn't seem so excited.

Until I suddenly found myself in his arms and having the life squeezed out of me.

"Luke! Can't… breathe!"

He let go and I saw that his cheeks were flushed.

"Sorry," he muttered, "But… Akari, you're pregnant! We're having a _baby!"_

When he spoke, a huge grin lit up his face, his body almost shaking with excitement. What? Luke _wanted _a kid? I loved him and all, but most of the time he kind of acted like a kid. I didn't know if he'd be able to _raise_ one.

"L-Luke… y-you w-want a baby?"

His eyes widened in shock as if I'd said something crazy.

"Of course!" he cried, "Oh, Akari, I've always wanted a _big _family! I'm so ultra-happy!"

I giggled as he squeezed me again, my feet coming off the floor as he lifted me up.

"Goddess, Luke, don't hurt her!" Irene snapped, "She's got your child in there!"

Luke paused for a second and the next thing I knew I was back on my feet, Luke taking my face in his hands and looking at me with a pale face.

"I-I'm sorry!" he breathed, "I didn't mean to! Are you okay? Did I hurt you? Is the baby okay? Oh, Goddess, why am I such an idiot?"

I sighed and took his hands away from my face, instead wrapping them around my waist.

"I'm fine, Luke," I assured, "And so is our baby. And how many times do I have to tell you that you're _not _an idiot?"

"Until you get me to believe it."

I just put my arms around his neck and hugged him. He really wasn't an idiot. Sure, he could be a little clueless but that didn't mean it gave people the right to call him an idiot. During our embrace, I could hear Irene clear her throat, but when I tried to pull away, Luke wouldn't let me go. His hands snuck up into my hair and he pressed his cheek against the top of my head, whispering something I couldn't hear. As he spoke, I started thinking about what was going to happen to us.

We'd have to get married soon, before people knew I was pregnant. After all, the baby was supposed to come _after _the wedding. I didn't want people thinking I was a slut because I slept with the man I loved when he proposed. Was that even such a bad thing?

After we got married we'd have our baby. A precious, little baby. I didn't care if it was a boy or a girl as long as it was healthy. Either one would make me happy. Luke had mentioned that he wanted a _big _family, so maybe we'd have a few more later.

Luke would help me out on the farm with the crops and animals and would then go back to work for his dad during the day. I could stay home with the baby and take care of things around the house. Maybe I could invite Toby and Renee over so their baby could play with mine.

When Luke would come home, he'd hold me and kiss me just like a husband was supposed to do. He'd watch the baby while I cooked dinner, which he'd always say was good. Then we'd stay up a little longer and bond with our child, then retire to bed.

In my eyes, it was the perfect life. I couldn't ask for anything better.

As my fairytale ended, Luke stood up straight and pulled away slightly, looking at me with wide golden eyes.

"Let's go get married!" he breathed.

I blinked a few times so that I could come back into reality. Married? We were already going to get married.

"What are you talking about?"

"Let's get married! Now! Come on!"

He started to drag me towards the door, but I stayed rooted to the floor. Marriage? _Now? _This very second?

Luke looked back at me, his brows furrowed.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Luke, I-I…"

"Oh, shit, you don't wanna marry me!"

He wrenched his arm away from me, pressing his fists against his skull.

"I should've seen this coming! You're too smart for a guy like me! Damn I'm so stupid! What the hell was I thinking?"

"Luke!" I cried, "That's not true! I do want to marry you, but… I want it to be special. We can't just go find Perry and have him marry us now. I want to wear my dress and feel the butterflies in my stomach and see the look Dale will give you when we kiss… I love you too much for us to not have a special wedding."

For once in his life, Luke was quiet. He just stared at me, an unfathomable expression on his face. After what felt like hours of waiting, he came over to me and lightly placed his hands on my shoulders.

"As long as I get to marry you," he whispered, "It _will _be special."

"Aw, _Luke!"_

I jumped into his arms and let him hold me, burying my face into his neck. I noticed that Irene had left, which I was grateful for. This wasn't exactly a situation I wanted other people to witness.

My legs wrapped around his waist and I managed to hang onto him so that our eyes were level with each others.

"Marry me tomorrow," he begged, "Candace told me your dress is done and I'll tell everyone to make sure they come… Please, _please_ marry me, Akari!"

I giggled and kissed the tip of his nose, careful to avoid his bandage.

"Okay."

**AWWWWWWWW! Sorry, I'm just the biggest hopeless romantic I know so this stuff just melts my heart! Let's hope the love lasts! Please review!**


	17. A Promise

**Yay for spontaneous weddings! Also, I took an idea from a review, so let's see who can pick it out...**

**I don't own Harvest Moon.**

Chapter 17

I understood why Kathy acted the way she did on her wedding day. I was even worse than her, crying so much that Luna had to redo my makeup every ten minutes.

"Geez, Akari, could you hold it together, please?" she groaned as she attacked me with a mascara brush, "I know it's a big day and all, but I'm running out of makeup!"

"Come on, Luna," Kathy groaned, "Could you please be a little more empathetic?"

Luna rolled her eyes and just kept putting on my makeup as Kathy played with my hair, Candace and Renee tweaking my dress to make sure it was perfect. Poor Renee had problems moving around since she was heavily pregnant with her first child, but she put up with me anyways.

"There! Don't cry, Akari, or I will slap the tears out of you!"

"Luna!" Kathy hissed.

The pink-haired girl rolled her eyes and stepped away so I could look at myself in the mirror.

I almost didn't recognize myself. Luna, always loving flowers, had placed two white flowers in my hair, one on each side. Candace had made a beautiful dress that had gorgeous trimming at the bottom. Like Kathy, I had gloves that went up to my elbows, but instead of being strapless, I had a halter-top bodice. It was hard to believe I was actually looking in a mirror.

"Oh, honey, you're so beautiful!" Renee cooed.

At that I almost started crying again and Luna brought her hand back to smack me. Luckily Kathy grabbed her arm and gave her a dirty look before smiling sweetly at me.

"Come on, gorgeous," she breathed, "Let's go before Luna loses her mind."

Luna rolled her eyes but went ahead and followed us up to the church. Even though she and Candace had helped me get ready, Kathy and Renee were my only actual bridesmaids since they were my best friends on the island.

Since my parents weren't there, I walked down the aisle alone. But I didn't really mind. It almost would have been weird to have my dad give me away since we were never really close to begin with. As the bridal march played and everyone turned to look at me, I could only look at Luke.

His blue tux was a little big, so he had rolled the sleeves up to his elbows and kept the front of it open. He proudly wore his bandana on his head, even though Julius had tried to talk him out of it. I didn't care. It was a part of Luke that only made me love him more.

I took his hand and stood beside him as Perry began to speak.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to bear witness of the union of these two people. If anyone has a reason as to why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Luke beamed at me and I couldn't help but smile back; his happiness was infectious. We were finally going to be together.

Perry began to speak again, but the doors suddenly burst open and everyone turned to see two figures standing there, glaring down the aisle.

My parents.

"We object!" they said in unison.

My face paled and I could feel my throat tighten. No. No, no, _why _did they have to come? I hadn't told them I was getting married today! They weren't supposed to know!

My parents stormed down the aisle, fire burning in their eyes as they looked at me. Luke quickly reached out and pulled me against his chest as if shielding me from their wrath.

"Let go of my daughter, you delinquent!" my mother screeched.

The tears instantly began pouring out of my eyes. No! They were ruining _everything! _This was supposed to be the happiest day of my life!

"Hey!" Dale bellowed, "Don't talk to my son that way!"

My parents ignored him and stalked up to the altar, where I was shaking like a leaf against Luke's surprisingly strong hold.

"You are _not _marrying her!" my mother snapped.

"Why not?" Luke asked in a clear voice.

This caused my mother to falter. Had she honestly thought saying "I object" would make me stop loving Luke? I clung tighter to him, hiding my face against his chest.

"Because!" my mother finally cried, "Because she's supposed to marry Gill!"

My head instantly snapped up. Gill? What the hell was she talking about? I looked at the back of the church where Gill was sitting, his face bright red with embarrassment.

"He was supposed to break you two up!" my mother continued, "And she was gonna marry him!"

"You!" Luke cried as he looked over at Gill, "That was why you told me to give the snake to Akari! You tried to make me look bad!"

I just trembled against Luke. Gill was trying to break us up? He wanted to _marry _me? I thought he hated me.

"Well as long as there's no _legal _issue," Perry said, "Your objection is rejected."

Perry was officially my hero. My parents gaped at him and I watched as Owen stepped down from Luke's side as best man and forced them into a pew. He winked at us as he returned to his position beside Luke.

Luke took my hands in his and smiled at me lovingly, his eyes sparkling. At that moment, I knew that nothing, not even my parents or Gill, was going to ruin this for me.

"Now," Perry sighed, "Do you promise to love and honor each other, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Luke murmured.

"I do," I echoed.

Perry beamed at us and Luke squeezed my hands, making my heart pound even harder.

"You may now give the ring made of blue feather to your betrothed," Perry declared.

My eyes blurred as I slid the ring on his finger and he then did the same to me.

"You may now kiss the bride."

The words didn't sound real, but I knew Perry had spoken them. Luke put his hands on my shoulders and I just let my arms lay limply at my sides, my heart about to give out. The kiss was much more gentle than I thought it would be, surprisingly sweet. Perfect. It reminded me just how perfect Luke was.

There was applause and cheering, except from my parents and Luke and I blushed at all of the attention. I quickly glanced over to find Dale glowing with pride, tears leaking from his eyes. Out of the corner of my eye I could see tears in Luke's eyes as well, but they were clearly from happiness.

"I love you," I whispered.

"And I love you."

**:) 3 I just LOVED writing this chapter because there was a finally happy ending! BUT don't fear! This story's hardly close to being done! PLEASE review!**


	18. Newlyweds

**I know it seems like the story should be over now but it most certainly isn't! There's hardly been any action! And I'm ALL about the drama and action!**

**Of course, I don't own Harvest Moon**

Chapter 18

Luke's POV

Neither of us could really sleep. We just lay in bed together, looking at each other. I had my arms wrapped tightly around her waist and she had her hands pressed against my chest. We were _married. _For real. It was so… so… _awesome! _

"You're so beautiful," I sighed.

She smiled and nuzzled my neck. The gentle pitter-patter of rain tapped on the windows, almost as if it was a lullaby. But I still wasn't tired. I just wanted to stay up all night and day loving her.

"I hope Kathy and Owen are okay with the rain," she sighed.

My best friend and his wife had just gone to Toucan Island for their honeymoon. Akari and I would go once they came back. But for now, it was the middle of fall now and it just happened to be raining. Hopefully it wouldn't storm. That would not be the best way to spend a honeymoon.

Unfortunately, the rain got louder and heavier, causing Akari to squirm nervously in my hold.

"Are you okay, honey?" I asked.

"Yeah… I'm just gonna get some water…"

She crawled out of the bed and went to the kitchen, holding a glass under the faucet. As she drank, a flash of lightning lit up the sky and within a few seconds, there was a clap of thunder. Akari cried out in terror and dropped the glass on the floor. Fortunately it was plastic, so it didn't break. But my poor wife looked scared to death, frozen with fear.

"Akari, are you okay?"

There was more lightning and thunder and she jumped almost two feet in the air, clinging to the fridge for dear life.

"Make it stop," she sobbed, "Make it go away."

I jumped out of the bed and ran over, folding my arms around her delicate body. She trembled for a moment, but willingly let me carry her over to the bed. I pulled us under the covers and held her as close as I could, pressing her face into my neck.

She'd only told me once that she was afraid of thunderstorms, but I'd never actually seen her go through one. The poor thing was terrified. I rubbed one hand against her back and stroked her hair with the other, trying to calm her down.

"It's okay, baby," I murmured, "I've got you, it's alright. Don't be afraid, I won't let anything hurt you."

She pulled away slightly to look at me, her eyes welled with tears.

"I love you so much," she whimpered, "You're the best husband in the whole world!"

I beamed with pride as she kissed the tip of my nose, something I loved. Some people thought the bandage on my nose was weird, so I wasn't too proud of it. But Akari was different. She _liked _it. She kissed it. I squeezed her tight, never wanting to let go. She was just so perfect!

Her arm moved around and I felt her take one of mine, bringing it around to rest against her belly. There was the smallest bump there, making me burst with pride. That was _my _little bump. I did that!

"Luke," she whispered, "Are… Are you scared?"

I furrowed my brows.

"Scared of what?"

"Being a parent."

I shrugged and rubbed my hand against the little bump.

"Nah," I sighed, "It'll be an adventure!"

She laughed nervously and looked down at her stomach, smiling when she saw my hand rubbing it.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" she asked.

I pondered this for a moment. A boy or a girl? Well, to be honest, I didn't have a preference. I just wanted to be a daddy!

"Whatever you give me will be perfect," I finally said, "Just like you."

"Aw, Luke!"

I kissed her and let her nuzzle my neck again. It felt so good when she did that.

"I wanna go see Jin after the honeymoon," she said, "I want to make sure the baby's okay."

"Me too! We'll do it first thing."

She nodded and found my hand that was rubbing her belly. She held it and let her fingers lace through mine. I smiled happily.

I'd never actually thought I would find someone like her. She was everything I could have ever wanted and more. And now she was actually _mine. _That just blew my mind away. The most perfect girl in the whole wide world was _my wife. _

All those people who said I was an idiot and said I was too stupid for my own good… they were all wrong! No girl as perfect as Akari would marry an idiot! She's too smart. So take that! Akari was the proof that I wasn't an idiot.

I heard a giggle in my ear and turned my head to see her smiling.

"What?" I asked.

"You're blushing," she teased, "How come?"

I tightened my arms around her and pulled her on top of me, making her squeak.

"Because I'm in the presence of the most amazing woman in the whole world," I told her, "Who wouldn't blush at the sight of you? I mean, come on! You're so damn pretty!"

She blushed and giggled, reaching for my head and playing with my wild bangs.

"Now why are _you _blushing?" I taunted.

"Because I'm in the presence of the most amazing _man _alive," she sighed, "The most handsome, smart, wonderful man ever!"

A huge smile lit up my face. She said all that about me and actually meant it.

She really was the most amazing woman ever.

**Sorry for the short filler chapter but I really wanted to capture the whole lovey-dovey way Akari and Luke acted right after getting married. But now that that's out of the way... let the conflicts begin!**


	19. Arrival

**Ok so Iv'e been thinking really long and hard about this story and... Well, just read this chapter and I'll put the news at the end. **

**I don't own Harvest Moon. **

Chapter 19

Akari's POV

My honeymoon with Luke was everything I could've imagined. Romantic, sweet, perfect… words could hardly describe it! Toucan Island was so beautiful and tropical and Luke smuggled as many bananas out as he could.

When we came back, a new resident had moved to Castanet. His name was Calvin and he was an archeologist who stayed in the Inn. I had a feeling he and Phoebe would get along pretty well.

Just like Luke promised, the first place we went was to Choral Clinic so we could check on the baby. As Jin performed the ultrasound, Luke held my hand and smiled at me.

"Everything's gonna be fine," he told me, "Our baby is gonna be healthy and perfect."

"Um, actually," Jin said, "Not quite."

My heart skipped a beat and I gripped Luke's hand so hard I thought it'd break. Luke's face paled and he looked at Jin terrified.

"W-What d-do y-you m-mean?" he asked nervously.

"Your baby isn't healthy and perfect," Jin sighed.

Tears began welling in my eyes and I saw that even Luke was doing the same. A smile spread across Jin's face, making both Luke and I furrow our brows.

"_Both _your babies are healthy!" he exclaimed, "You're having twins! A boy and a girl."

I thought Luke would freak out over the twin thing, but I was wrong.

"Jin!" he screamed, "Don't _scare _me like that! I thought my baby was _dead!"_

I sighed and pulled Luke closer to me, trying to give Jin a break. The guy wasn't very good with social skills, so his attempts at humor weren't always the best.

"Luke," I breathed, "Didn't you hear him? Twins! We're having _two _babies!"

The anger melted from his face and he gripped my hands tight, beaming with pride.

"_Two!" _he cried, "That's so awesome! Akari, I can't _wait!"_

"Well, she's pretty far along now," Jin said feebly, "She's due around the end of winter."

I caught my breath. It was already the beginning of winter! My birthday was coming soon _and _I was going to have babies! So much for one season!

After the visit, my body seemed to realize that I was pregnant. My stomach inflated to the point that I looked obese and I absolutely hated it. I didn't want to be fat! I wanted to be pretty for Luke. But he said that he didn't care and I was always pretty. It was sweet, but I just wished I could believe him.

By the time I turned twenty, I could hardly get out of bed myself, let alone take care of the farm. Poor Luke had to and then go to work at the carpenter's. I felt bad that I couldn't do anything around the house, but he assured me it was fine.

"I just want you to keep our babies safe," he told me, "That's your job."

As winter started to come to a close, I was a bundle of nerves. The babies were due any day now! Luke and I could hardly contain our anticipation.

Only two days before spring started, the time came. Luke had taken care of the farm and went up to the carpenter's. I stayed home and relaxed, making sure not to do anything strenuous. I considered inviting Renee over with her newborn son, Matt, but I eventually decided against it. For some reason, I just really wanted Luke there. I got up after a while and went over to pour a glass of water. When I brought it away from the sink, I was surprised to look down and see a puddle. I hadn't spilled my water, had I? But as I felt the liquid dripping down my leg, I knew what had happened.

A painful contraction seized my abdomen, making me double over in agony. Crap! I was going into labor and Luke wasn't here! Now what? I moaned and managed to crawl over to the phone, ripping it off the wall and punching in the numbers to the carpentry.

"Dale's Carpentry," Luke's cheerful voice said, "How can we help you?"

"Luke!" I gasped, "Babies! Coming! _Now!"_

There was silence on the other end of the line and I feared he hadn't heard me.

"Luke?"

The door burst open and I turned to see Luke panting for air in the doorway, bending over with his hands on his knees.

"Luke!"

He gasped and ran over to me, helping me stand and brushing my hair out of my face.

"Come on, we need to go to the clinic."

I tried to follow him, but it hurt so bad that I let out a cry of pain.

"I can't! Luke, it hurts too bad!"

"Then I'll carry you!"

With that, he scooped me up in his arms, not even faltering at my weight. He practically ran to the clinic, faster than I thought he was capable of with me in his arms. When he burst through the door, Irene looked up to give us a dirty look, but paled when she saw my condition.

"Come back here, dear," she said.

The next thing I knew I was in a hospital bed with Jin, Irene and Luke gathered around me. Luke was gripping my hand tightly, his eyes wide with panic.

"Calm down!" he told me, "Just calm down and it'll be okay! Breathe! In, out, in, out! You can do it, honey!"

"Luke!" Irene snapped, "If _you _don't calm down, you'll have to wait outside!"

Luke instantly shut his mouth and just held my hand, trying to look strong.

Child labor was terrible. It hurt more than anything else in the world. I couldn't _believe _how painful it was. I remembered screaming at Luke in anger for doing this to me and begging for it to just end. Eventually, I could hear the crying of a baby, which Jin told me was a boy. A few minutes later my daughter came, her scream louder and higher-pitched.

Luke left my side, but soon returned with two little bundles in his arms, one in a pink blanket and the other in blue. He handed me the blue one, which I carefully took in my arms. My son was staring up at me with big, golden eyes, a tuft of brown hair on top of his head.

"Luke, he's beautiful!" I gasped.

"Isn't he? What should we name him?"

I looked thoughtfully at the tiny baby in my arms.

"Daniel," I said, "I like Daniel. What about the girl?"

"I like… Jillian," Luke said after a moment.

"Jillian and Daniel… that's perfect!"

Finally, we were a family.

**PLEASE READ BELOW! IMMPORTANT!**

**Ok, so the news about this story is that... I'm ending it.**

**I know! I'm soooo sorry to all the people who love it and say it's great, but I just don't think it's very good. I was trying to think of complications and none came. I promised you all action and I just couldn't deliver :( I also feel like I'm too far in the story to come up with any decent complications anyways. Plus, this story really doesn't have much of a plot in my eyes. **

**But before you get too upset, I have more news. I PROMISE that I'm going to be writing a NEW and BETTER AkarixLuke fic because I absolutely adore the couple and I feel like I have to give you guys the exciting, interesting story you deserve! But I also want to write another one with Akari and a different bachelor (I love Luke but I want to be unique too).**

**So, if you could do me a favor, in your review please write:**

**1. The review you were originally going to give. **

**2. The name of the bachelor you'd like me to set up with Akari (I was leaning towards Gale or Jin because they're different, but I'll accept the majority)**

**3. Whether you want me to write the LukexAkari fic first or write it after the one with the new bachelor.**

**I'm really sorry that I couldn't live up to your expectations, but I got this far in the story and just lost ideas. But I will write an epilogue if that helps...**

**Thank you to all my dedicated readers and reviewers! If it wasn't for you, this story wprobably wouldn't have even got this far. **


	20. Epilogue

**I promised you an epilogue so here it is!**

**I don't own Harvest Moon**

Epilogue

"Mama! Daniel's being mean!"

I craned my neck around from the meal I was making to see my two children in the living room. Daniel had Jillian's favorite doll and was running around laughing as she desperately tried to keep up.

"Give it _back!" _she wept, "Daniel!"

Just as I was about to go help her, Luke swept in the room, lifting Jillian in his arms and swinging her around like he would do to me. Our daughter instantly started giggling with joy, forgetting all about the doll. Daniel, jealous with the attention his sister was receiving, put the doll on the floor and ran at Luke, latching onto his leg.

"Hey!" Luke laughed, "Now I can't walk… or can I?"

Both kids squealed as he dragged his feet across the floor, Daniel clinging to his leg in fear of falling off. Luke shifted Jillian around so that she clung to his back, giggling so hard that some of her blue hair was falling in front of Luke's face.

I thought he was going to go and set them down somewhere, but instead he came over to me, scooping me up in my arms like he did when we were younger.

"Luke!" I squeaked, "Put me down!"

"I don't think so!"

"Get her, Dad!" Daniel laughed as he got off his father's leg.

Now that Luke could walk easier, he went over to the couch and dropped me on it, making me squeak. Jillian climbed off of him as he fell on top of me, his hands instantly going to my waist to tickle me.

"Luke, _stop!" _I cried.

Of course, he didn't. He just tickled my waist and put his face in my neck, nuzzling it. I tried to push him off of me so I could get dinner, but he wouldn't budge.

"Danny! Jill! Help me!"

Both my kids instantly jumped on top of Luke, making him grunt in surprise. Daniel grabbed the bandana on Luke's head and ran off, Jillian following obediently.

"Hey! My bandana!"

But they had already run into their room, slamming and locking the door behind them. I smirked as Luke gave me a dirty look.

"I never told them to get the bandana," I said, "I just told them to help."

"Yeah, whatever!"

He kissed me and we both smiled at each other.

After seven years of being together, you'd think that we'd get sick of each other. But we didn't. If anything, we fell in love with each other more and more every day.

"I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you," I sighed.

He smiled and pushed some of the hair out of my face.

"Me neither."

And as we kissed, I knew that we'd always be together, forever.

**Yeah, I know, super short. But it _is _an epilogue and I just really wanted to wrap the story up.**

**I haven't decided which other bachelor to use (since no one's suggested anything *cough cough*) but I'll let you know soon.**


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